What I Wore Wedding Edition

Love this idea of showing off pics of our wedding attire!

James and I were married nearly 6 years ago at my parent's Bed and Breakfast  in the mountains.
The setting was GORGEOUS.
Check out their site if you are needing a little vacay…let's be honest…you do!

We had $8,000 to budget our entire wedding on.
I was actually shocked when my parents told me that.
I didn't think we'd even come close to needing that much money.
A little naive right?

My original plan was to wear my Mom's wedding dress, which her Mom had worn. 

It was lace, gorgeous, and the perfect fit. The only problem was that the lace was worn, torn, and discolored. I was devastated. I had wanted that to be my "something old". 

So then the hunting began.

{Aren't I the best model ever?}

I've had to turn down so many bridal magazines to be their model

…no...

So with a budget like that I was really trying to look for an inexpensive dress.

My mom, sister, and I looked and looked and looked. Store, after store, after store.

I felt truly beautiful in every dress, just like a dream.

When I put the final dress on I knew I loved it.

It was a staggering $900 (without alterations) and I was ready to walk away.

My Mom told me to get it. She said it was perfect…and convinced me to take the plunge ; )

As a special addition my Mom handmade my veil (to my bridezilla specifications)…it was lovely. 

I obviously couldn't take a "real" wedding pic

epic fail at the sexy pic

When James and I were engaged I was working at a Jewelry store (score!). 

So I was able to get my jewelry custom made, and at cost!

I love my simple gold and pearl drop accessories. They are timeless and easy to still wear.

Can you see those shoes!?!?
I wish I had more reason to wear them today.
They were $100. Ridiculous.
But I have a size 5 shoe and it's nearly impossible to find really gorgeous grown up shoes. And these were perfect (of course).

I'm kind of  really old fashioned, and that translated into my love of this sheer lace back. It dips to my lower back and continued into my gorgeous train. I had it bustled out instead of in, so that it was on display during the reception.

What a day….what a dress…what a man.

Photo Bombing and Firsts

 My boys are obsessed with the webcam on our Mac. 

Every time I jump on the computer they are jumping on my lap. 

I was trying to get a picture of this necklace I made {as a reference for length}.

Josiah stuck his head into the frame. 

Just at that perfect moment. 

I'm glad he did. It's so cute! And he gave me a reason to embrace the camera. 

In other news….Josiah is now riding his "pedal bike" exclusively.

This is what he learned to ride a bike on.

This photo is from March of last year. Jo was going CRAZY on his Strider (notice it has no training wheels or pedals). The goal of this bike is to teach them balance first. It worked great! 

He probably could have been riding a "real" bike 6 months ago if we had one that fit him!

This is the first time Josiah hopped on his "new pedal bike". He was so proud of himself. And we were so proud of him too! We take walks to the park and he's off and away. He's like a boy now…where did my little guy go? 

And here she is….

Standing up on her own.

On April 16th she took her first 2 steps and broke my heart. My baby is growing up.
It's been a bittersweet past couple of weeks.
I want my kids to grow, but I want them to stay dependent on me (except for wiping their own booty).
These little "firsts" are what makes being a parent so much fun.
I'm so glad for modern technology so we can capture every single moment!

My Thrifty Cleaning Products

I'm mentioned it here before...

I'm cheap. Like…really cheap.

James and I live on one income (a teacher's salary at that).

So consequently, I am always looking for ways to cut down on our bills.

Cleaning products may be inexpensive, but making my own is a really easy way to save a few bucks.

I purchased these bottles for $.98 each at Wal-Mart.
I purchased this curtain rod at Wal-Mart for $.98 also.
I keep them hung above my laundry room sink.


So here's what I keep in the bottles.

Febreze:


1/8 cup fabric softener
2 Tbs baking soda
Hot Water

Pour fabric softener into bottle. Add baking soda and fill to top with hot water. Give it a shake.
Sweet smelling sheets for cheap…I'm in!

Disinfectant Spray:

1 1/2 cups *vinegar

1 1/2 cup water

Easy right? I use this just like a lysol spray. Kids smear poop  (not my kids) sneeze on a toy…out comes this stuff. 

But here's a trick. I put orange peels in my vinegar to sweeten the smell. All you need to do is collect some orange peels, add them to some white vinegar and let them sit for a week or so.

Voila!

No nasty smelling vinegar!

*Please note that using vinegar on countertops such as marble and granite can dull the stone. So I use just hot water and dish soap to clean my granite.*

All Purpose Spray:

2 Tbs ammonia
2 cups rubbing alcohol
5-8 drops dish detergent
Hot Water to fill rest of the bottle

Mix them all together in the bottle. I use this to clean the bathrooms with.

Window Cleaner:

2 cups of warm water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
1 Tbs corn starch

Put all ingredients together and shake well. You'll have to shake before each time you use it as well. The cornstarch settles to the bottom.

This works. Really well.
I use it on my smutchy (this is my blog….I can say what I want) glass table top. It is pretty streak free and gets off dried oatmeal.

Fruit and Vegetable Wash:

2-3 drops dish detergent
Warm water

Mix together in a spray bottle. Spray produce and rinse when ready to eat.





Floor Cleaner.

1/2 cup vinegar (use the orange vinegar)
1 gallon water

I use a Bona spray mop for my floors. I just refill the cartridge with this mixture.

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

Warm Water
Few Drops Dish Detergent

Pour water and dish detergent into bottle and shake.

I use this to clean off all of my fruits and veggies before we eat them. The produce washes can be so expensive! But I'm all up for an easy and effective way to clean my produce!


But there is one thing I will never skimp on.
Carpet Stain Remover

Blue Magic
This is the best carpet cleaner ever.

Have you ever cleaned a stain from your carpet and noticed it makes the strands in your carpet clamp together? This stuff will actually fluff your carpet. It's gotten blood, wine, vomit, and even paint (yes paint) out of my carpet.

It's about $3.50 a can at Wal-Mart (wow…noticing I shop there a bit too much)


Another great thing about these bottles (minus the carpet stain remover) is that they are toxic free. They aren't harmful for my family.

So…get out there and save some cash, clean your home, and keep it safe!