A Blue, Summer Backyard Wedding Reception

Back in July, I got to attend a wedding reception for a dear friend! We've been friends since the 6th grade and we were roommates our freshmen year of college. She had her ceremony in Mexico, so I was so pleased to get to go to her wedding reception!

Sorry for the selfie. I am being vain. I was pleased with how my hair turned out though, and I wanted to show off my ear jackets from bauble bar. I'm really liking this new trend! I think earrings are especially fun when you have short hair.

The wedding reception was in the Bride's parent's backyard. When we were growing up my mom and I always thought that their backyard would be a beautiful place for a wedding!

Their cute little barn. All of the food was set up inside, and it was delicious!

The bride and groom with the Father of the Bride.

There were so many pretty details! Janell and her family really put a lot of work into decorating!

The bride and groom came around to each table to visit.

They had a beautiful set up for their desserts--and there were a TON of pretty desserts!

This is my favorite picture of them at the reception. They look so happy!

It was really nice to get to visit with friends from home that I don't get to see very often!

Of course there was lots of dancing! Me and Janell getting down with our Dads :)

More friends!

More dancing!

Janell and I with each others' brothers :) I have missed Andrew!

Family!

Such a sweet couple.

There was a really cute little bar area.

This shows pictures of the bride and groom at different ages growing up.

Quite the party!

Haha, my parents dancing at the table, while Joel and add are annoyed with me taking a picture!

My sweetheart :)

Beautiful lights at twilight!

What are they looking at?

My parents dancing!

There was a selfie station with lots of fun props!

We took a Polaroid in front of the backdrop and then wrote a message on it and clipped it to the chicken wire windows. Such a good idea!

For favors, they gave cookies and rice crispy treats. Janell loves cats, so they found some clever ways to sneak cats into the wedding--aren't those kitty cookies cute?

Our parents. Lots of fun memories growing up. Hoping we can get together more often!

More beautiful decorations.

One last picture of the beautiful lights. It was such a fun reception! I definitely danced so much I got hot and sweaty but it was worth it :) Congrats Janell and Mike!

I just love weddings!
Happy Tuesday :)

Current Obsessions & House Update

Hey everyone! I feel like every post this summer has started out with "I'm so behind on blogging!" but it's the truth! I have a wedding, Wallowa Lake trip, Oregon Jamboree and a quick visit to Central Oregon to blog still! I also have exciting news on our house buying process: we found a house that we really liked, put an offer in on it and...it was accepted!! It has a beautiful view from the backyard, a stone patio and an amazing master bathroom! We are waiting for a home inspection and appraisal before we can start calling it ours, but I am feeling relieved. We could be moved in by the first week of October!
This morning as I was browsing through front porch ideas on Pinterest, I got real excited and told Joel, "We will have a porch to put pumpkins on this year! We will actually have to carve some!" Let's just say Joel wasn't quite as excited about it as I am, haha. The poor guy, I keep bombarding him with all these ideas about decorating. I've started prefacing everything I say with "I'm not trying to stress you out, and I don't expect this all to happen right away but wouldn't it be cool if..." Oh dear, my poor husband!
Since my other posts are time consuming and I have not organized them yet, I thought I would just share some of my current obsessions with you :)

1. La Croix Berry Flavored Sparkling Water: I first bought this with the intention of making white wine   spritzers, but I started drinking it by itself. I wasn't really sure if I liked it at first, but the more I tried it the more I liked it! There is no added sweetener or sodium, it is just a natural berry flavor. I like it because, it kind of feels like I'm drinking something special because of the carbonation, but it's not unhealthy and it hydrates you just like drinking regular water (read this)! There's been times this summer where I was thinking about having a soda of a glass of wine, but I ended up have a sparkling water instead. Also a plus: the cans are a pretty color of pink and they have tons of different flavors! I do my grocery shopping at a local store and they only carry a few flavors but Target carries much more.

2. TheBalm "Read My Lips" lip gloss: I got this lip gloss in my July Birch Box, and I love it! First of all, the color: it's called "rose pink". What I like about it is that it's a pretty color pink, but it looks natural. It just enhances your natural lip color. Not too pink, a little bit coral-y. It also smells fruity and it isn't too sticky. I wear it on an everyday basis and it makes me feel a little more put together, but not too made-up.
3. Lime juice and garlic powder: Okay, nothing special here, I just am loving these flavors together this summer and I've been seasoning everything with it. It makes grilled chicken breasts fabulous.
4. Pendleton Blankets: I think these are so pretty. I am really liking the "southwestern" tribal prints right now. It reminds me of exploring and being out in the beautiful Oregon wilderness.
 I would love to have just one of these blankets, but they are pricey! Maybe someday.

And now we move into my home decor inspiration obsession.
The house is very move-in-ready. The only changes to make are cosmetic ones, just because we want to, not because we need to. I've been trying to focus on little things that I can do right away, like paint color, etc., so I have recently zeroed in on the master bathroom.
The picture on the left is kind of what our set up is with the tub, built in below a smaller window (I accidentally cropped out the chandelier hanging above). The picture on the right is my color inspiration.

The pictures below are just all bathrooms with chandeliers above the tub, and colors/feels that I like :)

I would like to add shelves like the picture above on the left, because currently it's just a blank wall next to our tub. I am very into white, aqua and grey lately, and I am always into chandeliers :)

Uh-oh...am I doing again? Should I not be planning until the house is FOR SURE ours?
Joel keeps telling me not to get attached until we have the inspection and the appraisal done and everything is verified in good condition, but I can't help it! There are so many possibilities and I love decorating!

Happy Monday!

First Time House Buyers: Don't Get Attached Too Soon

Well, I did what I knew I shouldn't do. I went and got attached to a house that we found, knowing that there were going to be a lot of barriers to purchasing it. This morning we officially found out that we basically would have to go through hell and high water to try to get the house and after that it's sounding like there's possibly some water damage issues and it could be a huge money pit--if we could even get it past inspection and get it to match up with the type of loan we are using.

Gah! I'm so heartbroken and frustrated. I had another post planned for today, but I'm so upset I had to get it out. I don't know why I was so naive, but I had no idea that house hunting was going to be this difficult. I thought I would be able to go into it with an open mind, but now that I found such a great house in the perfect location and I can't have, It had the best floor plan and the most space for the lowest price out of the houses we've looked at. It was at the end of a street so there were not neighbors on one side or behind us. There a lot of trees surrounding it. I'm having a hard time moving on. Everyone is telling us to be patient and wait. I feel like I have been waiting forever!! My life is "hurry up and wait" right now. I only found out that the house was probably a no go about 30 minutes ago and I spent a solid 5 minutes crying over it. I'm in mourning. Maybe I should quit looking a Pinterest so I will get my mind off of it...and stay off instagram...and throw away the IKEA catalog that came in the mail yesterday. OK, I'm being a dramatic.

I will move on and we will find a house, it's just so frustrating! The other houses we've looked at, are nice, but none of them have everything I wanted. I know I'm being picky, but this is a big purchase!! I know everyone keeps saying, this is just our first house and we can always save and move into something different later, but it's so hard to know that "the house" is out there, just sitting empty.

I'm not worried. I know that we will be fine wherever we end up. I'm just dealing with disappointment poorly right now.

So word of advice to first time home buyers:

 DO NOT GET ATTACHED TO HOUSE BEFORE YOU FOR SURE FIND OUT IF ITS POSSIBLE TO OWN!! 

Much easier said that done. :(

Sorry for my rant, and being on a downer on a Friday.

In other news, I am  hosting a girls night tonight with my aunts and girl cousins on my Dad's side of the family. At one point I thought I would be having it in my new house by this time, but I finally bit the bullet and just decided to host it in our tiny apartment. It should be fun!

My husband just put on "Shake it Off" by Taylor Swift to try to cheer me up :)

I love him.

Happy Friday!! 

Wisdom: Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?

Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it?

I've seen this saying so many times, but for some reason this week I have had a revelation about it and it has really hit home. Like knocked me over the head.

In this world of social media, I am bombarded every day comments, pictures, and articles that go against what I believe in and sometimes, not only that, but they go so far as to make accusations, judgments and stereotypes about Christianity and Christians. I sometimes wonder if they were face to face with me if they would really say these things. I understand that Christians have fallen short of the glory of God and made mistakes and caused hurt, but how in this day and age is OK to make stereotypes about an entire population of people?

So many times this week I have been tempted to comment on things that people have posted, or I've complained about it to my husband, but I know that commenting with my 2 cents will not change their mind, and it may just make them hate me. I know this from experience. 

What I do know, is that while I am helpless, God is not.

So, instead of complaining and getting worked up, I have started trying to pray for the person that God will touch their hearts and that God will bless them and they will see the truth. 

Ultimately, it's not even that I want them to change to what I think it "right". I want them to change to have a heart that desires to seek the Lord, and that he would reveal his will to them.

It seems like I should have come to this realization much sooner in my life, but I guess we all learn at different rates. It's not about me and what I think is right or wrong. It's about God. It's about Jesus. I want to shine His light, and draw others to Him. I'm putting out a challenge to those to pray, that instead of getting mad and relying on your own understanding, to pray that God's will be d one.

Happy Thursday!!

Hiking to Blue Pool (AKA Tamolitch Pool) on the McKenzie River

A few weeks ago, Joel and I went hiking with some friends, to a place called Blue Pool or Tamolitch Pool on the McKenzie River. We left early in the morning, because it took us a couple of hours to get there (although it's not too far from where I grew up!). We were the first ones to the trail head and it was still pretty cool when we got there. This was the view from the trail head parking lot.

I adore pine trees. They are so magnificent. It's one of my favorite things to look at. I wish I had this view every day.

Off we go on our hike!

The hike to the pool is relatively easy. There is not a lot of up hill/down hill. It does, however, get a little rocky in parts, and once you get to the pool, you do have to do a little bit of rock climbing, and actually getting down to the pool is really steep.

The Mckenzie river actually goes under grown for a few miles after Carmen Reservoir and Blue Pool is where it comes back up. The water is VERY cold. Not really the type of water good for swimming, but we had fun watching a few unsuspecting people jump in :)

View from above.

When I took this picture, I was standing in what looks like an empty waterfall.

I love how the surroundings reflected into the pool.

Joel was in such a good mood, he even suggested we take a selfie! Of course, this was before we decided to extend our hike onto Carmen Reservoir, making our 4 mile round trip hike into a 10 mile round trip hike. Let's just say I learned on this hike why people use hiking poles and I am going to buy real hiking shoes. My knees hurt so bad when I got home I had to CRAWL up the stairs!!

Even though we were all really tired when we finished our 10 mile hike, we all felt really accomplished! Such a fun adventure to be had with friends. It will always be a cherished memory!
I highly recommend the 4 mile hike to Blue Pool. It is so beautiful, you will not regret it!!
For more info check here.

I love exploring Oregon. I am in love with trees, mountains, lakes and rivers right now.
We just got back from Eastern Oregon and a Country Music Festival and I'm having a hard time coping with the fact that I am not waking up surrounded by trees and mountains every morning!
*Sigh.
Happy Wednesday!

Aqua Decor, Clean Kitchen & Peach Cherry Bourbon Chicken

I recently went through and d-cluttered my tiny kitchen, and bought a pineapple, and I thought it looked so nice I would share it here on my blog. It's funny, because if anyone asks me what my favorite color is, I will say yellow, because I like what it represents, yet in reality, I am always drawn to the cool color aqua.

In this particular picture, I had gotten up early, made my breakfast and was enjoying the cool breeze floating in through the window on my left. A nice treat during this very hot Oregon summer.

Mugs & Bowl: Fiesta Ware // Bird Butter Dish: World Market // Utensil Pitcher: Home Goods

After d-cluttering, I was feeling rather homemaker-ish so I decided to take a crack at cooking something different than the usual. Earlier this summer I tried making the Pioneer Woman's Peach Whiskey Chicken. Well, as per usual, Joel and I didn't follow the recipe to a tee, and it just didn't turn out quite right. So on this day, I though I would try it again, but instead I just used the idea of the sauce and did my own thing.

Here's what I did: We bought frozen chicken drumsticks, and baked them in our slow cooker for a few hours on high heat. Once they were cooked, I threw them on our indoor grill to crisp them up a bit.

For the sauce I just mixed together: honey bbq sauce, honey, peach preserves, and Cherry Reserve Bourbon (Sorry, this girl doesn't measure when she experiments). Just mix it and taste until it tastes how you like. Then I brushed the glaze on the chicken, and done! It was soo good!

I try to be Martha Stewart-y, but I just don't quite make the cut. This is a bag mix salad. Probably fancier than I would make myself, however. I believe it was called the "Summer Salad". I always add onions though!

Well, at least my husband liked it! I will probably be making it again!
What's your favorite chicken or salad recipe?
Happy Tuesday!

Sky High brewing, Baseball Game, and Andy Grammer Concert, Oh My!

We just got back from a week at Wallowa Lake and the Oregon Jamboree. Time to play a little catch up. I've been enjoying my summer so much, I haven't had time to blog about it!

Earlier this summer, Joel and I went on a double date with one of his co-workers to check out Sky High Brewing in Corvallis and a Corvallis Knights Baseball game. I didn't really take any pictures, but I loved Sky High Brewing so I stole some to share with you!

There are three stories, I think the first story pretty much just the brewing area, then there is a restaurant and bar on the second story with an outdoor patio, and a third story outdoor area as well. We stopped on the second floor and were seated outside on the patio. Our waiter had a pretty sweet handlebar mustache. I had the Bavarian Hefeweizen, which was excellent! I'm not really into IPAs and more bitter beers. The Bavarian Hef was really light and sweet, it almost reminded me of a mead. 

We will definitely go back!

The Knights game was fun! Joel and I had a lot of fun visiting with his co-worker and wife. It was a beautiful summer night and the Knights won! It was a perfect way to spend a summer night :)

Skip ahead a few weeks, I got to go to a FREE Andy Grammer concert at the Albany River Rhythms with my dear friend Kate. Joel and got home from camping at Yellow Bottom and I showered and then left for the concert a few hours later haha.

 It's been a busy summer.

Andy Grammer was awesome! I'm so glad Kate got there early and grabbed us great seats right up front in the blanket area! We were super close! Andy Grammer even came down into the audience during one of his songs and got pretty close to use. It was way cool. You can definitely tell that he loves performing, and he doesn't take it for granted, and he's proud of his roots. Back Home is one of my favorite songs!

Can you tell I'm loving my summer yet?
What are you all up to?
Happy Monday!