Summer Reading

via tumblr

I am in dire need of some summer reading recommendations! 

Audible and I are going through a dry spell, and with my pregnancy insomnia in full force and the Olympics halfway over...I am getting concerned!

I've read the Hunger Games series (obsessed, obvi), Bossypants (Tina Fey you crack me up!), Secret Life of Bees (enjoyable), the Twilight series (need I say more), The Help (love love love), The American Wife (a surprisingly steamy read),  Unbroken (highly recommend if you have Olympic fever and enjoy WWI stories), Day of Infamy (a WWII history lesson - I was on a kick), Steve Jobs (simply wow), the Sex & the City books (meh) and Jack Kennedy all within the past year!  (Not to mention the countless baby / pregnancy related books that I've plowed through...)

What other best sellers am I missing?! 

And please do not say 50 Shades of Gray - no interest!

P.S. A Cup of Jo totally stole my blogpost today! 

One Year...

i love you, mom <3

(via dearlillie)

Father of the Bride, Part II

If the ending "To be continued" in my last post left you hanging...I didn't leave you in suspense for very long!

The only movie that makes me think of my parents, both Mom and Dad, more than Father of the Bride is Father of the Bride, Part II.  And here's why...

In the winter of 1995-96, while on our annual winter trip to New York City, my Mom and Dad announced at breakfast that they were expecting another baby - we were going to have a fourth sibling...a baby brother!!  And to celebrate the news, they took us to see Father of the Bride, Part II that afternoon!

I was 11 at the time, right smack in the middle of the 5th grade, and utterly ecstatic!  I couldn't wait to get my hands on the little guy!!  I could be his babysitter!  Teach him everything I know!  And I will never, ever forget the excitement I felt that day sitting in the dark movie theater thinking of the possibilities of one day having my own babies, and designing the most amazing nursery, and sharing that incredible experience with my Mom (and Dad). 

And, just as I took cues from the first movie as we planned our wedding last year...I again found myself at the intersection of real life events and the fairytale that is Father of the Bride, Part II.

So, although I can not physically take you all "to the movies" this afternoon, I wanted to keep this tradition alive by sharing this most everlasting memory of my mom with you as Nate and I announce some very exciting news: we're expecting!

I thank all of you readers from the bottom of my heart for all of your love and support, and for allowing me the opportunity to share my memories, stories, crafts and life events with all of you!  We are sooooo excited!!!!

xoxo

Father of the Bride, Part I

I used to think a wedding was a simple affair. Boy and girl meet, they fall in love, he buys a ring, she buys a dress, they say I do. I was wrong. That's getting married. A wedding is an entirely different proposition. I know. I've just been through one.

There's no mistaking that the entire Rowley family has a thing for the movie, Father of the Bride.  My siblings and I can recite almost every line, my Dad thinks he's the real Steve Martin...  It's the movie that not only stamped our childhood but now, in our adult lives, has taken on a whole new meaning. 

Call me cheesy, but taking cues from the movie only seemed natural and appropriate when planning my own wedding...and I started by giving my parents an anniversary addition copy of the movie when I got engaged.  My dad and I then chose our father-daughter dance song (which was a classic in its own right) from the movie.  I also gave my dad a pair of decorated high tops to wear on the big day.  We did not serve our guests the "chipper chicken".  My dad even had a minor breakdown in the grocery store over hot dog buns and my mom had to bail him out of jail!

Ok that last part I am 100% joking!!  (Sorry, Dad!)

But, some girls want princess carriages and tiaras; I wanted my own version of a fairytale that places as much importance on the joining together of husband and wife as the merging of our two families, and that significant and everlasting father-daughter (and mother-daughter) relationships.  One that truly captures all those crazy nuances of planning a wedding!  And ours most definitely did.  (Although my Dad handled the "giving me away" part a bit better than his alter ego, George Banks!)

Though my chapter in playing the leading lady in Father of the Bride has come to and end, I know it continues and will continue to hold a special meaning for our entire family.  Particularly as my dad is already up at bat again as the Father of the Bride as my sister Ashley plans her wedding...and will have one final turn one day with Emily!  :)

But what's most remarkable (in my opinion) is that this 20+ year old remake of a 1950s movie has transcended generations and still remains very relevant today. 

And I honestly can't think of a movie that reminds me more of my parents, both Mom and Dad, than Father of the Bride...

Except maybe one. 

(To be continued).

This is just a friendly reminder...

I don't know about you, but I am so very blessed... <3

Can I Keep You?

Last night, I decided I needed a night to be a complete and utter bum. 

(Did I mention I am still recovering from the weekend of Easter festivities?!)

So I came home from work (a little early) and promptly got in bed for a night of tv (and dinner in bed)!  :)

Of course, nothing good / new was on tv...  But after a series of flips through every channel imaginable trying to find something to entertain me, I struck gold!

CASPER, the 1995 hit-movie about the ghost of a boy who is "the friendliest ghost you know" (starring Christina Ricci and Devon Sawa) was on ABC Family.  Oh how it made me reminisce about my childhood, how it brought back those tingly teenage feelings of my first movie star crush!  Devon Sawa...you heart throb you!

I started watching, much to Nate's dismay (he called it a Halloween movie - 'tis not!), but promised we could turn it off as soon as we got to the infamous slow dance scene...  About an hour and 45 minutes later, I remembered it was the last scene of the movie...  Oops!

It was totally worth it.  

Unfortunately this clip leaves of the big kiss scene, and my favorite part when Casper turns back to a ghost and casually says "Boo!" and everyone runs out screaming! They don't make 'em like this anymore, kids!

What movies remind you of your childhood?  Little Giants anyone?  Now & Then? 

And who were your movie star crushes?!  I also lovvvvved JTT, but who didn't?! 

Who used to buy Bop and Tiger Beat magazines?! 

And yes, Casper (12 years old in the movie) / Devon Sawa (~16 years old when he made the movie), you can keep me any day! Great line, great line...

P.S. What Devon Sawa looks like now!

Ocean Treasures

There is a store on the Ocean City boardwalk that sells a variety of pretty (and not-so-pretty...) beach-inspired home decor items.  I think it's called Ocean Treasures?

But anyways, I drag Nate into the store just about every weekend when we're one of our infamous walks because I love to look at the adorable painted wood plaques with catchy little quotes on them.

I have no idea who makes these signs, but I did recently stumbled upon an online boutique that sells them called Patina.  So today I thought I'd bring one of my favorite weekend browsing experiences to ya'll virtually. 

Nate and I actually have one that says "the beach is where my heart is" hanging above our front door.  And I have a funny feeling I'll be making a few more purchases when we "re-do" our house this spring...(more on that next week!).

Which one's your fave?

Keep Calm and Carry On...

We've all seen this poster before...

...in both its orginal and parodied or trivialized versions...

haha yes!

After my own heart...

Disney Princess version

tee hee

...and can all agree is has truly become iconic image of the 21st century!

But ever wonder where it came from?  Check out this short film that tells the true story behind our revered 'Keep Calm and Carry On' poster!

I'm filing this under "you learn something new every day"!

Psst! I have a secret...

You've probably figured out by now that I loooove a good quote (ahem, here and here).  Sooooo I thought I'd let you in on a little secret!!

Every so often, Rebecca from Simple as That turns her favorite quote into a free printable that is available exclusively to her followers!  Just follow her blog, download, print and pop into a frame and you have a gorgeous piece of artwork that should cost you a whole lot of moola at a retail store!  Amazing, right?!

I love this one she created last week for Valentine's day.  And, it's available in five different colors!!

And this one from last year...

From her Simple Things collection...

And a few inspiring quotes...

  

Aren't the beautiful?  I hope you enjoy!  xoxo

P.S. I would love if you followed me, as well, before heading over to Simple as That!  Just click "follow" on the right!  I promise there are more secrets like this to come!! :)

Craft of the Week: Valentine's Day series #3

A few months ago, I "pinned" (on Pinterest) a white canvas board with a lovely little quote in white block letters. 

How sweet, right?  I definitely could make that, I thought.  I love the idea of turning quotes into artwork for your house!!

So I "clicked through" to find the originating site and was linked to Not on the High Street, a handmade goods site similar to Etsy.  That's when my mind was blown.  This little thing was selling for a whopping 195 pounds!!  Pounds!!!?  That's $307!!!!!  Plus shipping!

Insane.

So, today's Valentine's Day craft is a DIY version of this overpriced wall art, for 1/10th the cost and all the loveliness!  And, you pick your quote!

Supplies Needed:

• Canvas - I purchased a 12"x12" board from A.C. Moore on sale for $10
• Wood Letters - I actually tried a few craft stores before finding the right size and availability of letters (I liked these 1" letters because it reminded me of my handwriting...in all caps)
• Tacky Glue
• Foam Brush
• White Spray Paint

Directions:
1. Spray paint the front of your letters.  (oops - looks like we're going to have a few white rocks, too)

Can you guess what my quote is?  I originally wanted "I have always known it was you" but they were sold out of H's!

2. To avoid your letters sticking to the paper, make sure you move them around gently before they dry completely....or use wax paper!

3. When your letters are completely dry, repeat steps 1-2 to spray paint the back of your letters.  Use a new piece of newspaper / wax paper!

4. Not it's time to arrange the letters on you board.  Using a 12" board, 1" letters, and 5 rows, the math was pretty easy.

6.  Next, I used a foam brush to paint tacky glue on the back of each letter before gently pressing on the canvas.  I started with the first letter of each row, 1" apart.   Then I placed my ruler in between each line of the quote and spaced the center of the letters 1" apart. 

7. Spray paint your entire board and set out to dry.  Be careful not to use too much paint - you do not want to get pools!!  A light coat is fine!  (Sorry no pictures of this step...it was dark outside by the time I got to this step!)

Final product (sitting on my shelf at work!):

1,001 Rules for my Unborn Son

Have you guys seen this site or read the book by TV producer/writer and blogger Walker Lamond?  I have wasted spent wayyyy to much time trying to read all of these...and couldn't resist posting some of my favorites:

   

  

By the way, in 2011 Walker was named one of Complex Magazine's "5 Style Bloggers You Should follow on Twitter" and CBS News named his blog one of "25 Genius Tumblrs." I think I need to add him to my daily reading list!