hero

My own personal war hero [and favorite person on the planet]: James Samuel Morgan. 

After serving as a Marine in WWII and the Korean War, he retired to a life of being the best grandfather anyone could ever ask for. 

out of touch

My dear dear readers. You have not been forgotten and neither has Wedding Wednesday. Don't worry...I don't think you can't live without or anything dramatic like that. 

I do have reasons! My bestie, B, said "I do" Friday night and is currently honeymooning with her new hubby. I love a week filled with reasons to take off work, reasons to celebrate, reasons for out of town friends to visit, reasons to get pampered, and reasons to be together! It was a cram-packed couple of days. The post-awesome-wedding-week exhaustion is totally worth it.

We filled the week with stuff like this:

and this:

this:

this:

this:

and this:

Congrats to the newly weds! I'm a tiny bit [ok, super] jealous. But mainly just completely pumped for you!

Readers - I'm back. Expect lots-o-wedding planning [my awesome mother-of-the-bride is in full gear], learning and loving in this new post-grad life, and D's and I new brain child. Like as in a little side business idea. Not a real child.

wedding wednesday: the send off

One of the zillion must-do's concerning the wedding that runs through my head is what to have our guests pelt as us as we're running away. Weird tradition, isn't it? But I can't help thinking that it's just got to be one of the most fun moments for the bride and groom!

I haven't been able to decide if we should go with a new and creative idea or stick with the classic. When I envision it, I can only picture all of my favorite old wedding movies where the happy couple run through a shower of rice. And since rice has supposedly become a hazard for the birds [and I'm definitely not down for endangering any of my favorite creatures], I'm leaning towards the bird seed option.

With so many adorable ideas out there, it's hard to choose!

• Love this easy DIY cone with instructions. 
• But I love a cone made out of doily MORE. 
• Ecofetti is biodegradable and water soluble so all you have to do is pray for a post-reception rain shower. And they have lots of colors to mix and match.
• A little bird seed. A little sewing machine. Totally doable. 
• Paper airplanes - super creative for a super cool couple. 
• I feel like these need a little explaining. I don't do heart-shaped items...normally. Not a fan of heart jewelry, heart decor. Nothing against it, but it's just not my thing. But there is something totally cutesy about these heart sparklers.

I'll be on the hunt [meaning, Googling] for rice-shaped, white birdseed. So if you see any at your local home garden store, let me know.

grad

In celebration of finally receiving all my final grades [SWEET FREEDOM], I thought a little graduation post was in order. I'm going to march into the PMAC on Friday night to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance. And I can surely tell you that it will be the last graduation I attend where I'll be the one in the mortar board. Guess I shouldn't say that.

Lord, please let it be the last graduation I attend where I'm the one in the mortar board.

I realized, when I was recently day dreaming about what I wanted to do with my life, that some people have a little more direction after they get a degree than before. Surprisingly enough, my list looks similar to my mental list from 2007. I'm ok with that. 

In no particular order...

Yes, that says dolphin trainer. Trying to let go of that one. I normally attempt to find a balance between assessing what the gifts are that I feel that the Lord has blessed me with and being careful to not shove the Lord's giant sovereign plan into a tiiiny little box that I've created. And focusing more on the latter. 

So there is a little insight into my wishful soul. And, hey, I'm about to be able to check #13a off the list!

wedding wednesday: the honeymooners

In celebration of the honeymoon being paid for and 100% ours [hooray for saving our pennies!], I'd thought I'd share a few honeymoon must-haves. Don't get any ideas. All products strictly pertain to day-time, public activities. Feeling awkward now...

• Picture-esque beach tote. 
• The perfect J Crew tankini. 
• Floral shades. 
• Digital underwater camera. 
• Tory Burch flip flops. Trying to talk myself out of liking these so much. Thanks, big sis. 
• So much cuter than a naked passport. 
• Perfectly chic and, most importantly, super comfy maxi. 
• Extra large, wire-brimmed, packable sun hat. This is the way to go!
• Beach blanket. With pillows?! Yes, pa-lease.

My brain is definitely somewhere sunny and sandy instead of barricaded in my room with books and notes and scantrons and coffee. Just one more test is standing in my way of being totally completely fully done with college. FOREVER! 

And since it is Wedding Wednesday, it's a perfect time to give a little shout out to my dear dear friend Tay. Friends since we were two. Moms are besties. Dads work together. And Tay and I...well...we're both engaged!!! Congrats to David...he's one lucky guy!!

I solemnly swear to be a better/more creative/more faithful blogger after my completion of college [aka in 48 hours!]

mom's day

Happy Mother's Day, Mama!

aka Melin'

aka Mims

aka thebestmamaontheplanet

This morning, Pastor Landon spent some time with us in this passage:

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction 

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 

They are a garland to grace your head 

and a chain to adorn your neck.

Proverbs 1:8-9

And while I was listening, lesson after lesson that I've learned from my mother swirled through my head. Like how to make a mean pancake or chocolate chip cookie [or anything, really] or how to dress your body type or how to keep your room clean [still working on that one] or how to plant a garden or how to read in to your shopping vibe [read about that here] or how to make you feel like the most loved human being on the face of the planet. 

And so much more. 

I love you, Mama! 

P.S. I can only hope to be as beautiful of a bride as you were!

wedding wednesday: giver of gifts

Have you ever taken the love language test? It's definitely insightful. I'm cautious to not allow the results of this test to become binding. Or to let them become an entitlement to be loved a certain way. But it's definitely an interesting way to [quickly] learn about how to love your significant other better. Which, of course, is great!

Among others, gift giving is a way that I both show and receive love. It's not the gift or the style or the price or anything like that. It's the thought. I am blessed when someone says, "I thought this looked like you." It's a quiet echo of the fact that we, as humans, long to be known.

I enjoy grabbing my cell phone and typing myself a reminder after hearing someone say they love/want/can't live without something. Only problem is that I have these lists that say something like "mom-head wrap, casserole, guys-mag, meter plate." Maybe I should be more specific. 

With it being super wedding season, I've noticed lots of unique gifts for the bride-to-be [which fits the description of about a bazillion friends. LOVE IT!]. Here's my round-up:

• Hand stitched dish towels. I'm already a sucker for these but add the wedding and bird factors in there and I'm totally done for. I've been stalking these for a while.
• Personalized hangers to top of the bride's most important purchase of all time - the wedding dress!
• A notepad to keep up with all those wedding planning to-do's. 
• The cutest coffee mugs I've ever laid eyes on. 
• Tervis tumblers. Great on their own. Better with a touch of wedding. [D and I love ours]
• Luggage tags for the honeymooners.
• Totally chic personalized totes for the busy bride. 

Happy purchasing!

fyi

Just in case you need me this week, just look for the nearest desk, and there I'll be - possibly a classroom, Middleton Library, or my office in the Capitol. If all those places fail, I may be found here:

                               

Snuggled up to pages and pages of Biblical commentary for my let's-make-it-as-difficult-as-possible-for-Meagan-to-finish-college paper. Ok. That was dramatic. 

On a for-real note, how could one be upset about an iiiitty bitty paper [or anything, for that matter] after hearing this truth:

But I trust in your unfailing love;

my heart rejoices in your salvation.

I will sing the LORD’s praise, 

for he has been good to me. 

Psalm 13:5