Sunday, September 14, 2014

Our Ceremony


Where did we leave off here in the wedding reminiscing? Oh yea... I was ready to marry my best friend after Our first look. Figures it would take me almost an entire year to get to the heart of the story. But hey, our anniversary month is better than never to get to the good stuff, right? Right. 

After the first look, we did our wedding party and family pictures and then assembled downstairs in the back of the Dairy Barn because the ceremony was on the second floor of the barn in the open beamed area. 

The men were all laughing about something amongst themselves and I was just basking in the fact that all of our best friends were in the same hallway with all of our closest friends and family upstairs waiting for our wedding ceremony  and just how crazy it all felt that it was happening right then. I took a break off of my feet for a few moments while we were waiting for everything to get started. Before I knew it, our wedding coordinator was ushering the men upstairs to go take their places up front. And then, all of my ladies were also gone.. and it was just me and my dad. 

The Men with our Officiant leading them.


Brandon's mother & two of his brothers.

I know I heard the song we had picked out {I am You- Kim Taylor} for the ladies & our moms to walk in to but it all seemed to be going so fast, too fast if only to me. Then, before we even began climbing the stairs for my arrival, I heard the beginning of my entrance song {Marry Me- Train}. It was literally a miracle that I had my dad there to help me walk quickly up the stairs and not step on my dress or slip on a heel. 

My mother & brother.



And then we were at the top of the stairs and there was everyone... my friends, family, our bridal party all looking at me. When people say the whole wedding day goes so fast, they often forget about those times where time just slows down and you are actually able to soak it all in. This was that moment and I remember making eye contact and smiling hugely at specific people and then looking up and seeing Brandon with a little grin of pride that was so cute. 




Our officiant was our college friend, Stephen, who was the best choice we possibly could have had for our wedding ceremony. He officiated with such grace and wit that I do believe he had everyone laughing and crying simultaneously which was a true gift. He shared some funny stories from when Brandon & I first started dating because Stephen had been on Brandon's Resident Assistant staff at the time and saw us fall for each other first hand. He also graciously made it very clear we were starting a lifetime commitment together. 





Photo Credit: Jen Reyes





Our mother's took turns reading my favorite wedding reading called, "These are the Hands," and then we did a literal knot tying ceremony. As you could see in the first picture, we did a double figure 8 knot symbolizing two becoming one and infinity as well as our love of climbing and the outdoors. 




After we exchanged our vows and rings, we were pronounced husband & wife and introduced as Mr. & Mrs. Fitzgerald! We left the ceremony to {Home- Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros}. It was surreal and amazing all at once!



Victory!



With the knot tied, the vows read, and the shoes off we were ready to party with our friends and family... and that we did! 

Hope you enjoyed the recap of our wedding as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Peace, 
Allison 


.: All pictures in this post by our wonderful photographer, Jamie Brant Photography:.
.: If you like this wedding post, check out our Rustic DIY Barn Wedding tab above or click on the link!:. 

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Simple Gold Herringbone Bar Update!


We got this mahogany bar as a wedding gift from my sister and very soon-to-be {as in less than one month!} brother-in-law. It was from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and was on our registry. I love all of the storage it offers and the extra space I get to decorate (otherwise known as me cluttering it up with cute things!). The only thing was that the bottom shelves were so dark and cavernous that you couldn't really see all of our glasses hanging (see below). 



I decided on a whim one night to brighten the shelves up using all things I already had on hand! I used some scrap mat board pieces I had left from my "The World is Your Oyster" knock-off artwork and cut them to size to fit in the back of the shelves. Then, I taped them off with masking tape in opposite diagonal patterns to create a Herringbone pattern when put together. Finally, I spray painted the mat boards using some gold spray paint I had on hand. Surprisingly, they dried within minutes and I was able to remove the tape and put them in their places. Only about 20 minutes total time for this quick update!  

How about those Trader Joe's tulips! 


I love how much brighter the shelves look now and how the pattern brings some added interest as well! Plus now you can see all of our glasses much more clearly. This simple update could be used for any dark furniture piece for that matter or just any shelves you have that need a little added interest. 


Finally, here are a few pics of how I styled our bar top. The gold bunting banner is actually glitter paper I picked up at Michael's that I sewed together. I may be doing a small tutorial on how you can make your own one of these days. The Happy Flags in the mug are from this Etsy shop, Natalie Creates. And of course you can see more about my knock off, "The World is Your Oyster" artwork here




What in your home could use some brightening up? 

Have a great weekend!

Peace, 
Allison 










Friday, September 5, 2014

Five Friday Favorites


1. Happy Fall Y'all! 


Despite the 90+ degree weather, I am so happy that it is practically Fall because it is my favorite season! Pumpkin Spice Lattes are baaack in full swing, Oktoberfest is in stock, and its almost time to wear my plaid shirts and riding boots! Plus, I am really looking forward to the cooler temperatures, hopefully sooner rather than later {fingers crossed}. I painted this cute sign the other day with leftover wood from my DIY Boat Cleat Towel Holders and I even changed out my wreath to my Fall one in an effort to push this heat and humidity out the door asap. Who's with me?!

2. Cold Brew Coffee 
If you are a fan of cold coffee, please do yourself a favor and order yourself a cold brew coffee maker. It is the easiest way to make delicious cold coffee every time! I ordered this one off of Amazon and it is just under $20. Basically you put the grounds into a reusable filter that comes with the brew pot and then pour cold water over the grounds. At first, you will only see the coffee seep a slight bit making the water a light amber color, but place the pot into the fridge (I usually make mine right before bed) and leave it for 8-12 hours to seep and when you come back the coffee will be dark and luscious. Put some ice into a mason jar with your cold brew, a splash of milk, and a cute straw and your life will be instantly better! Okay, okay maybe not instantly but you are definitely off to a great start. 

I have started getting my coffee grounds from World Market now. *If you buy coffee on Wednesdays and are part of their rewards program they will give you double points for every bag of coffee you get and once you get 6 points (bags), you get a free bag!* I've tried the French Roast and Vanilla Bean so far and I am definitely more of a fan of the darker grounds for sure. 


3. Beauty Blog
So there are two things that you will probably never read me blog about because I am eternally a newb when it comes to both of these subjects: makeup and cooking. Lucky for you, 1. I have a sister that is the all knowing when it comes to makeup and style and 2. she started her very own beauty blog called Baltimore Beautiful. (Fun fact: she also got the cooking gene from my Ma that apparently jumped right over me.) Go check it out and give her some love in the form of comments and long term readers! ;)
Baltimore Blonde(s)

4. Twigs & Pinwheels
I think it's safe to say I have an addiction to Etsy. My latest handmade purchases have been this Twig necklace that I LOVE and these fabric Pinwheels that are super adorable. 
Silver Branch Necklace - Simple Tree Branch - Nature Inspired Jewelry - Modern Organic Necklace
Golden Galore: 3 Mini Pinwheels

5. The World is Your Oyster 
I fell in love with this print by Rifle Paper Co. and I had the perfect place in mind for it to hang in our kitchen but I just could swing the $50 price tag. I am all for paying money for handmade products (see #4), but sometimes I just cannot fathom spending money for something I know I can create myself. Hence, why I grabbed some mat board and paint and painted my own version that resembles the poster I so loved. Just like I thought, it is the perfect addition to our kitchen and only costed me about $8. How great is that phrase too!
The World Is Your Oyster Illustrated Art Print
Real Version Via.
My Version!


Have a great weekend! 

Peace, 
Allison 
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