Pretty Little Angel

{If you follow me on twitter or facebook, you may all ready know this.}

I have a niece.

Her name is Olivia Laine, but she is also known as Lainey and Lula-Belle.

She is just the sweetest thing...ever!!!!!

I loves her.

:)

all photos are courtesy of my mom and sister.

Music Monday - Kesha

Yes...I jumped on that bandwagon. :)

Maybe I need some rehab
Or maybe just need some sleep
I've got a sick obsession
I'm seeing it in my dreams
I'm looking down every alley
I'm making those desperate calls
I'm staying up all night hoping
Hitting my head against the wall

What you've got boy is hard to find
I think about it all the time
I'm all strung out, my heart is fried
I just can't get you off my mind

Because your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love
I said your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love

Won't listen to any advice
Mama's telling me I should think twice
But love to my own devices
I'm addicted it's a crisis
My friend's think I've gone crazy
My judgement's getting kinda hazy
My steeze is gonna be affected
If I keep it up like a lovesick crackhead

What you've got boy is hard to find
I think about it all the time
I'm all strung out, my heart is fried
I just can't get you off my mind

Because your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love
I said your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love

I don't care what people say
The rush is worth the price I pay
I get so high when you're with me
But crash and crave you when you leave
So I've got a question
Do you wanna have a slumber party in my basement?
Do I make your heart beat like an 808 drum?
Is my love your drug?
Your drug, huh your drug, huh your drug
Is my love your drug?

Because your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love
I said your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love
Because your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love
I said your love, your love, your love is my drug
Your love, your love, your love

Hey, hey, so...
Your love, your love, your love, your love
Is my drug... "I like your beard"

lyrics :: lets sing it 

I Can Do That!

I have a jam packed next few weeks before school starts, and I'm stoked about it!

Tomorrow

I'll be meeting with a DJ, going to see some chairs {and hopefully like them!}, and I hope to be signing the catering contract. And, somewhere in there, I'm supposed to be meeting up with my MOH for a coffee date!

Saturday

Mr. GrapeJuice and I will be attending a marriage workshop through the Catholic Diocese of Nashville. It is an Engaged Couples Retreat at Scarritt-Bennett. If you want to read about it, you can click here. We have to fill out a Myers Briggs personality questionnaire form. I hate filling them out because I always get nervous that people will judge me and that I'm answering the questions wrong! {so silly.}

Next Saturday

Mr. GrapeJuice and I will be heading over to Street Tuxedo to check out their suits and tuxedos. I'm hoping to convince him that a gray suit would be the way to go. They look so sleek and would fit into the style of our wedding so well! Hopefully, he'll go for it.

The Last Saturday in July

My ladies from NC are coming in, and we are hopefully going to find a bridesmaid dress! Sadly, my sister won't be joining us because she'll a little newborn to take care of. {I'm going to be an aunt soon!!}

Plus, during all this time, I'm supposed to be setting up my classroom and getting it ready for the next school year. I haven't been able to go in yet though since they're in the process of replacing all of the flooring due to the flood at the beginning of May.

photo :: lolcars

Wishful Wednesday

After posting about sweets yesterday, I began to think about my tendencies in life.

I wish...

that I had the self-discipline to get my fat ass off the couch and workout instead of baking sweets and eating all of them.

 

With the wedding less than six months away, I need to start improving my eating and exercising habits

But how?

photo :: bella on the beach

Dazzle 'Em

Yesterday, I had a meeting for school.

My grade level, Kindergarten, was in charge of bringing dessert.

Someone was all ready bringing chocolate and key lime pies.

So, I decided to bring cookies!

I haven't made cookies in such a long time that I was really excited to make some!

I decided to make Ruby Jewel cookies.

I found the recipe in my Williams-Sonoma Cookie cookbook.

It was really easy!

Plus, they was a huge hit!!

 

Ruby Jewel Cookies

*Makes about 3 dozen cookies

2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
About 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam or other thick jam
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready two ungreased baking sheets or mini muffin pans and liners
.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and vanilla together; set aside.

Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Scatter the butter pieces over the top of the flour and sugar and with a pastry blender or two forks, work in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk mixture and carefully mix to combine until the dough starts to come together (this worked best using my hands).

Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape it into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

With lightly floured hands, pinch off pieces of dough and shape the dough into ¾-inch balls. Place each ball in a mini muffin paper liner, if using. If not using a mini muffin pan, place the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets.

Using the end of a wooden spoon handle dipped in flour, make an indentation in the center of each cookie, but do not press all the way through the dough. Using a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, fill each indentation with about ¼ teaspoon jam.

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden, 15-20 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely on the pans on wire racks. Transfer cooled cookies to wire racks and dust with confectioner’s sugar.

Recipe Source: adapted from Williams-Sonoma Cookies 

recipe & photo :: my kitchen cafe 

Wedding Fact Friday

I am posting this to spite Mr. GrapeJuice.

We are both Catholic, and we are planning to have a Catholic wedding.

However, I think it would be really beneficial {and efficient} to see each other before the ceremony. 

Of course, he does not agree. This is the one aspect where he wants to be traditional.

Does he care if I wear a veil? nope.

Does he want my dress to be white? yes, but he's come to terms with the fact that it's not.

So...why can't he give up on this notion as well?

He says that if I can prove a valid point then he'll seriously consider it.

Well, last night I showed him the fact below, and he said it wasn't credible because there was a "typo!"

{do you think a five paragraph essay would win him over?}

"The Groom Not Seeing The Bride Before The Wedding - (Superstition)

Many of our current wedding "customs" originate from century old superstitions that would avoid incurring bad luck. In ancient times, marriages were considered a business arrangement made between family members, rather than a celebration of love. Marriages cemented alliances between families and insured transfer of land and wealth between them.

Often the groom had not met or even seen his future wife before the ceremony. The bride was kept hidden to eliminate any disapproval of her from the groom. It was feared that once seeing her he may have refused to proceed with the ceremony. This of course would have bought bad luck, by putting the family's financial arrangements in jeopardy.

Today this custom has lost its relevance. Arranged marriages are not very common in our modern North American society nor will the Catholic Church condone a marriage between people who have never met. A Catholic wedding ceremony is a sacrament that couples administer to each other, so it must be a ceremony of mutual consent. Many couples are abandoning this custom of hiding from one another, choosing instead to have private time together for prayer and reflection before the ceremony. They then as a couple greet their guests upon their arrival."

source :: catholicbrides.com
photo :: chris + lynn photograhpy

p.s. if you notice the typo, please let me know because i don't see it!

Honeymoon & Winner

It was a really close tie between St. Lucia and Hawaii.

But...

if all goes according to plan, we'll go to Hawaii.

That's what won!

:)

{of course, now, Mr. GrapeJuice wants to go to Universal Studios because of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. am i really surprised though?}

And...

the lucky winner of the Starbucks gift card is...

maria!

Send me an email with your address, sweetie.

source :: soma get fit

Music Monday - Faith Hill

When I think back
On these times
And the dreams
We left behind
I'll be glad 'cause
I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back
On these days
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me

[Chorus:]
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be

Well you showed me
How it feels
To feel the sky
Within my reach
And I always
Will remember all
The strength you
Gave to me
Your love made me
Make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you
You were right there for me

[Repeat chorus]

'Cause I always saw in you
My light, my strength
And I want to thank you
Now for all the ways
You were right there for me
You were right there for me
For always

[Chorus:]
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
There you'll be

lyrics :: azlyrics

Matching Your Couple Personality

In other words, choosing the right cake topper.

Trivial? yes.

Important none-the-less? yes.

When picking your cake topper, it's got to reflect you!

Not your mother or your grandmother or our sister or your mother-in-law.

You're putting it on your wedding cake after all.

You have to walk into the reception and see it there.

You don't want to walk in, see it, and think, "ugh! why?"

So, for Mr. GrapeJuice and I, our cake topper will reflect our playful couple personality.

We're always joking around or sneaking little love taps on each others derriere.

Meaning, floral cake toppers and monogram cake toppers are out for us!

Here's what I like...

Cheeky Couple Figurine: "My Main Squeeze"

source :: cute party supplies & elegant wedding accessories

"Romance" Kissing Couple

source :: that's my topper

"Super Sexy Dancing" Wedding Bride and Groom Cake Topper Figurine

source :: wedding collectibles

"Picture Perfect" Couple Figurine

source :: cute party supplies

Playful Football Wedding Couple Figurine

source :: online bridal store

"The Love Pinch" Bridal Couple Figurine

 sources :: kiwi cakes & jw caketops

True Romance Couple Figurine

source :: wedding favours