a complete whirlwind weekend

The past four days have been a real whirlwind. We left Friday around 4 p.m. to head to the airport. Our flight was originally supposed to leave Chicago at 8 p.m. but thanks to a nasty line of storms and serious rain we didn't end up leaving Chicago until midnight. So we spent a lot of time playing cards, getting frustrated, strolling through the airport watching other people getting frustrate and eating snacks.

 

We arrived in Austin around 2:30 a.m. greeted by my trooper of a best friend who lovingly picked us up from the airport regardless of time, even though she had to be up early the next day to be a bridesmaid in a wedding (thanks Lauren). By the time our heads hit the pillow it was almost 4 a.m. and needless to say, we were exhausted. The hubs got up early to get some golfing in while I slept spent my morning relaxing. Oh, fyi, it's hot in Texas in August, just in case you didn't know. 

The reason we were in Austin was for a college friends wedding, which was beautiful. She looked stunning and so in love. We're so very happy for the new married couple!

**Please excuse the poor quality/lighting of these iPhone photos. 

 

We spent the rest of Saturday spending time with my best friend and her boyfriend. In case you didn't know, she moved to Memphis recently and so our visits are much more limited. It was so so good to be able to spend some much needed time with them. And in honor of our anniversary, we took this picture next to a semi creepy/morbid wall mural. We thought it was relevant due to the "til death do us part" but then we later realized there was a wall of names down the street. Oh well.

Sunday was our one year anniversary. We spend our first anniversary mostly in the airport and in the air, which was fine with us. We didn't really care as long as we were together. Thankfully, we got an early flight home to Chicago and we were able to surprise our families who were all together for the Labor Day weekend/draft weekend at my in-laws.

I am very very thankful that the nice people at the Austin airport changed our flight. We were a little sad we weren't with our family when they were all together, but since we got a few extra hours in on Sunday it all worked out just right.

Monday was the family fantasy football league draft day. This is serious business. Last year was my first year in the league and I LOVED it. It made the football season that much more enjoyable because you have so many different players that you are rooting for, instead of just one team. I'm mostly pleased with how my team turned out and am excited for football season to officially begin.

We finally got back home late Monday night. We were so wiped from a complete whirlwind weekend. But when it is filled with fun activities and people you love there is always time for sleep later.

I know I've said it before but I can't believe it's September already. I am definitely ready for fall. The air has already cooled a bit here and it brings nothing but goodness for this upcoming season.

weekend jet-setting

This past weekend we flew south to Tampa. We left Friday and came back Monday, so it was a quick trip but well worth it. The hubs grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and we had a weekend filled with family and celebration.

The hubs and I are both big fans of family. We are truly blessed with wonderful families on both sides and we love spending time with them. This past weekend was no exception. Most of our time was filled with conversation and laughter. And after the stress of last week, it was very welcome. But the primary reason we were all there was to celebration in 50 years of marriage of Jake's grandparents. The whole time we were there, I couldn't stop thinking about just how fortunate we are. All of our grandparents have been married for 50+ years and our parents for 25+years. I think that says something powerful.

I am so thankful for the examples our families have set for us. We are so blessed to be surrounded by people who understand the importance of strong marriages and who work hard at their own. I just pray that maybe someday our grandchildren may look at us with the same admiration.

I didn't take my good camera so here are a few shots from the weekend via my iPhone.

Florida + Pillows

Well, I am Florida bound in a 17 hours. Yep, I can't wait!

It was a little impromptu visit to see my grandparents who snowbird down to Florida to escape the cold Midwestern winters. Although, this year really hasn't been so bad. Makes me nervous for the summer. I think it'll be a hot one.

But I wanted to share with you my recent DIY. I love them. Super cute pillows that can be added to any rustic chic space. I made these for my mom's birthday and will soon be making myself a pair.

I didn't use a pattern but if you need to you can find any basic pillow pattern. Once I cut out my sides, I used an acrylic pen to outline my letters. I stenciled the letters by placing a print out under my fabric. Burlap is pretty see through so it's easy to follow the lines. Then you can fill in the outline with paint.

Let the paint dry.

Then it's time to sew! I used my new Christmas present for this one. Sew the two "right" (or the two sides you want to be on the outside) together and leave a hole so you can flip and stuff the pillow. If you can't sew, that's ok, you can use fabric glue. It works well also.

Once you've sew them, all you need to do is invert them through the hole you left. Next, stuff them and make sure you get all the corners. Then stitch up the hole and you're done!

Pretty basic and they are so cute. What a great way to remind your spouse what side of the bed is theirs!

Ok, that's all for now. Time to finish packing up!