DIY: WEDDING PLANNING BOOK

So being the organizational freak that the Lord created me to be, I knew that I needed a Wedding Planning Book. I was going to head on over to Chapters and grab me one..but I’m not one of those “normal” people who have a one-year engagement (seriously, short engagements are the way to go). Most of those books have a 12 month+ checklist. Since the wedding is in less than 5 months (!!!!!!!!!!), I decided..I’m going to make my own freaking Wedding Planning Book!!

And you know what…YOU CAN TOO!

side note- you may be all gung-ho and stoked and then you realize, heck, i’ve never been married! what on earth should even be on my to-do list in this book!!?!?!? Don’t fret! Simply go to the queen of weddings website and copy her checklist! 

Wedding Planning Book-

1. Supplies needed: Blank Notebook (i adore & used these ones), post it tab notes, tape, scissors & a pen. Oh, and Rachel Stuart (unless you can doodle your own portrait)!

2. Start by deciding what categories you need. (You can add more as you think of them)

I have To-Do, Budget, Guest List, Ceremony, Reception, Photos & Music so far.

3. Write the category on the post it note and cover with tape to solidify.

4. Design the cover! If you don’t have a talented bestie or can’t draw your self, design something on photoshop or do a sweet collage!

5. Have fun planning away!

Cost of project- Under $10 (yeeeeeeeeaaaahhhh!!!)

So yah, there you go…! You can go and buy your own planning book or you can MAKE YOUR OWN…which will be personalized & not cluttered with crap junk you don’t need!

Happy Wednesday! 

Tonight we’re doing round 2 of registering at The Bay…BOOOYAH!

xoxo,

s.s.♥.

SHAKE IT OUT

(photo cred- dancing to chromeo at coachella)

People tend to have different remedies to cope with feeling down….

Some people watch a billion chick flicks

Some people eat McDonalds

Some people eat copious amounts of chocolate (defs can relate)

Some people can’t eat anything

Here’s a clip from a conversation on Sunday night..

"I watch Jimmy Fallon when I’m sad." -Rachel

"I dance." -Laura

Here’s a fun fact about me…I am the WORST dancer. Terrible. Horrible. Totally uncoordinated. Like, completely AWFUL. 

But here’s another fact about me…I am a PASSIONATE dancer.

When I dance, I dance. I absolutely love to dance, and I am absolutely fine with knowing I look completely mental. I remember watching Step Up 2 in theatres and leaving the theatre thinking, I’m going to be a pro hip-hop dancer. Two seconds later, I was brought back to reality. But heyyyy, even if I can’t shake it like Beyonce, I’ll sure as try.

Oh and one of my favourite places to dance is my kitchen. So yes when I’m sad (after praying and crying obvs) I turn on some Jay-Z or Stacey Q. or Chromeo and shake it on out.

It’s quite therapeutic, I highly recommend it.

And…BOOM when this song came out, I couldn’t help but play it on repeat over and over and over and over…seriously look at the lyrics..

Shake It Out- Florence & the Machine

Regrets collect like old friends
Here to relive your darkest moments
I can see no way, I can see no way
And all of the ghouls come out to play
And every demon wants his pound of flesh
But I like to keep some things to myself
I like to keep my issues drawn
It’s always darkest before the dawn

And I’ve been a fool and I’ve been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I’m always dragging that horse around
And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I’m gonna bury that horse in the ground
So I like to keep my issues drawn
But it’s always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaaah
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah

I am done with my graceless heart
So tonight I’m gonna cut it out and then restart
Cause I like to keep my issues drawn
It’s always darkest before the dawn

Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh woaaah
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back
So shake him off, oh woah
And it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off

You can’t control what’s thrown at ya in life but you can control how you react.

You can sit and wallow and cry (which is totally ok sometimes).

But seriously, you can only wallow in self-pity for so long. The time will come when you need to get up, throw the devil off your back & have a little dance (or get on in life). Don’t let the devil get a foothold of your life. I have seen too many people shackled down by negativity and self-pity. BREAK FREE!!

Maybe it’s time to forgive someone.

Maybe it’s time to stop listening to a lie.

Maybe it’s time to apologize.

Maybe it’s time to watch Jimmy Fallon. 

Or maybe it’s time to shake it out…

xoxo,

s.s.♥.

ONE YEAR

One year ago today, a super cute, long haired, Jesus loving, musician took me on a date to Pagliacci’s. Following dinner we drove to Clover Point and he said 5 little words.. Will you be my girlfriend? We were both nervous as heck, knowing nothing of relationships but we took a leap of faith which has led to the best year of our lives.

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart) -e.e.cummings

I love you James Peter Liira.

xoxo,

s.s.♥.

✝=♥

✝=♥ was written across the sky in sunny australia.

My prayer today is that it will be written across your heart.

⁶ When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. ⁷ Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

-Romans 5:6-8 NLT

Thank you for the cross.

xo,

s.s.♥.

DEAR DIARY #015

So I have this theory… well it’s not really a theory, it’s just a fact of life..according to me (ok, it’s totally a theory) ….are you ready for it? 

…promise not to yell at me?

…pinky swear?

Ok, my theory is… All girls are crazy and all boys are jerks. 

Some girls are a teeny bit crazy (you totally would never know) and some boys are just a tiny bit jerks (you’d know a little bit) and then there are the extreme cases (which we don’t really need to talk about it).

And when it comes to relationships, you just need to find out how much jerk you can handle and boys need to find out how much crazy they can handle.

(fyi i have no backing research on this theory, just my own personal experience)

I totally admit that I am crazy. Not like crazy-crazy. Just a wee bit crazy. And sometimes just a wee bit more than wee bit. 

Which brings me to Wedding Planning. Sometimes I can be a bit OCD…but I can’t help it, my brain is made this way! It’s true, I took the strengths finder test and my top 5 strengths were

1. Activator (makes things happen!)

2. Postivity

3. Relator

4. Strategic

5. Communication

(ps. i totally recommend buying the strengths finder book. it’s worth your money! and it’s freaky-deaky how one test can tell you crazy stuff about yourself!!)

So anyways..I’m in the shower and all of a sudden I’m like my stagette is going to be this day, and we’re going to do this and this and this! or I would love to get a photo in that field by that forest..or some other tiny detail will be in my mind and I’ll have to write it in my wedding book…

Oh, the wedding book…

Yes, I am one of those organized brides-to-be with a wedding book…which brings me to another part of my craziness….

So I was totally going to buy one of those bride planning books, but I’m on a budget and thought, I could totally make my own. (diy coming soon). I wanted my own sweet cover and my drawings are horrendous (any one of my draw something friends can testify to that) so I asked my amazing maid of honour, Rachel to design it. The funny thing is, I knew exactly what I wanted on the cover and we had Facebook conversations about it and then I realized it’s the cover for a flipping notebook (lols).

But Rachel is the most amazing person ever, and would never judge me (ok maybe a little bit but she loves me so!)

Here she be…

isn’t that the cutest thing you ever did see!!?!?!?!?!?!?! 

So the past couples week we got a few wedding details in place…

☑ Reception booked

☑ Photographers booked (AMERIS check them out!!! I am so excited to be working with these fine folk)

☑ Dress

☑ Started Gift Registry

☑ A bunch of other stuff

Yeah, so basically, thought I’d let you know that I’m a teensy bit crazy (just a wee bit, don’t worry, I talk to Jesus about it and He seems ok with it) but hey, if God gave you Activator skills, you better use them ;) 

(Don’t worry, I won’t go all bridezilla on ya, Jesus is still my #1 and I’m still passionate about serving Him!!)

hope you have an amazing monday!

xoxo,

s.s.♥.