A few of my favorite things...

I would like to give a big shout out to my favorite website, www.etsy.com

Really Quick: if anyone is giving away free cameras, and randomly has this camera to give away, please contact me! :) I have many beautiful people and things to take a picture of, and need something a little more transportable than my Sony DSLR :) I'll even take it at a discount from the original $149-ish price. OK, thank you!

Alright, back to ETSY. This website is so, so amazing. I share it with everyone I know, and now it's time to post it on here! Everything on the site is handmade, and it's a world-wide opportunity to purchase really neat and beautiful things. You can find candles, purses, clothing, craft supplies, furniture, picture frames, ANYTHING here! I bought a purse from this seller, all the way from Cape Town, Africa. Check out the site to learn more. And become a believer in online-craft purchasing :)

A few of my favorite things...

Aren't these earrings adorable? I love them so, so much. They are $14. You can find them here. If for some reason they have been sold, then the page will be "unavailable," but you should be able to see the seller's shop page, and hopefully pick out something else you will love.


This Punky Brewseter necklace is $36. Just think of all the outfits you could coordinate this with. And also how beautiful you'll be when you wear it to work. Very unique. My opinion: it's very much worth the $36.


As a girl who loves chapstick (I see you, Bonnie Bell), this little wool bowl is so perfect. If only I had this when I was nine. Or seventeen. Or today! Then I wouldn't have lost so many tasty chapsticks. I think everyone would have been happier. Well, it's not too late. Dear Husband, maybe you could fit this inside my stocking? It's worth the $15.


OK, do I even have to write anything about this item? This vase would be perfect in my living room. And for only $25 it can be purchased from Wisconsin. Maybe they'll include a free wedge of cheese... mmmm. Don't worry, I already convo'd the seller, and it WILL stand alone on a table (the bottom looks a little uneven, doesn't it?!).


Last, but of course the most special, this purse. I love it for all that it's worth, which is $83. Yikes. Remember Z, when you are comtenplating purchasing this for me: I take lovely care of my purses. I keep them all very clean, I showcase them around our house like they are art when not being used. I even slept with my Coach handbag it's first night with us. Granted it was during our Honeymoon... but... I still cherised it, didn't I?!?! *Also, this bag is from Switzerland, and I know it will great to add it to my other bag that I bought from Africa. C'mon, let's get a little International!

And now a tribute to my Coach purse:
Thank you Z for buying it for my birthday :)

Such a happy girl on our Honeymoon:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Don't hold your breath

A couple days ago I had the golden opportunity to talk to my nephew, Collin, who is a talker, talker, talker! He called me and as soon as I said Hello? he started at it. To be honest, he carried most of the conversation himself. We talked about spiders, cake, and a lot of other things I couldn't understand. Then mid sentence he said, I want to talk to Uncle Pony. Where IS he?

Actually, he's right here, entering the house as we speak, because Zack never leaves my side and is always around when I (or Collin) need him. So then Zack listened to Collin talk, talk, talk :)

For some reason I thought Zack liked to only talk on the phone to ME... Uhh, guess not.

I can tell he loves being an uncle because he is smiling the entire time they are on the phone. We are going to have great conversations, me and Collin :) As soon as he lets me answer back.

Something else that is important to mention: there are some sad things going on with a couple Grandpa's right now. If you could just pray for their families in Michigan and Oregon, that would be really special. I know Jesus saves and has great plans for all of us... That is what we must remember and believe the most.

Last night, Zack took me out on a date. Except it was one of those late-night dates and it may or may not have included me wearing workout pants, a thermal shirt, boots, and... and... no makeup. Sorry Zack! Yesterday was so busy, Zack worked late and wasn't sure exactly when he'd be home, and then I was doing my workouts once he finally arrived back at our nest. So we didn't eat dinner until approximately 10pm. Whoopsy. We were at Qdoba... mmmm delish!, and God gave me the most perfect opportunity for a chuckle. Zack was saying how good his burrito was, except he thought there were too many beans.

"So next time ask for less."

The opportunity came at me fast,
"But sometimes I like a lot of beans."

"You are acting like a girl."

Ahhh, it was so amazing. Every day, and I mean every day, something happens where I kind of freak out because I can't have complete control over the situation. Like with our Halloween costumes (that is a story for another paragraph). I need details; I LOVE details! I also need time to plan. Some times I like it this way, and other days I like it that way. And naturally I expect Zack to know instantaneously what I want, without pausing. So yesterday, with pure joy, I smiled because Zack finally realized how difficult it is to be a woman. YES!

Speaking of women, I joined Weight Watchers at work just now. It is going to be amazing. The Rep is really awesome and had such encouraging words for me. I'm pumped for the 12 weeks to be up so I can be proud of my accomplishments :)

What else is there to share?

Zack had me wake him up this morning at 6:30 so we could get ready and spend time with me.
Awe :) I love him.

6-7-8

Because I am "The Bride" and I loved getting married so, so, so, so much, today's post is a tribute to our wedding and everyone involved in it. :)

The day I married Zack was an incredible day. We were married on June 7th at my home church. We had the traditional, "let's not see each other until I walk down the aisle" wedding. It was perfect... perfect because God was a part of it all. My childhood pastor, Rev. John Stieve, married us :) He said the most amazing thing during the message; I'll never forget it.

Your wedding date is June 7th, 2008. That is 6, 7, 8.
What do you get when you add up those numbers?
21.
Two become One.


And here we are, Mr. and Mrs. Zackary Whitley:

This is my Mom's favorite picture :)

My Mom did a lot of wonderful things to help us plan the wedding. One thing she was in charge of was THE CAKE. Oh man, she did a great job. I think aside from his Bride, Zack loved the cake the most. Countless times Zack's told me how much he loved our wedding day, and that just makes my heart flutter. (He remembers things about the day --details, it's really awesome.)

We are so excited!!!!! WE ARE MARRIED!!!!! After four and a half years of dating, we never have to part. For those of you who know us "from the beginning," we spent a lot of time apart during the summers and over breaks from college. It was absolutely worth it. I mean, look at my hubby! How can anyone not love that smile! :D Every morning he wakes up, looks at me and says, Good morning Princess. I love you.
Another fun fact: if I ever get mad or upset, or sassy (occasionally this happens), Zack just looks at me and smiles.
I'm serious.
Then he says, what's wrong? Please don't be ____. Look, I'm smiling Does that help?

Marriage is great!

My family: Mom, Nicole (sis-in-law), my bro, Bride & Groom, and my Dad--

My new family: Craig, Groom & Bride, Cindy, and Tiffany--

Our Fabulously Fun wedding party:
L to R-- Lisa Nelson, Clare Benson, Nicole Helak, Taylor Ward, Tiffany Whitley, Andriana Vincent, Jessica Metcalf (MOH), BRIDE, GROOM, Chase Wiseman (BM), Matt Helak, Jake Goforth, Greg Holland, Brenton Dalgliesh, Ryan Johnson, and B.J. Wirgau--

Such sweet, lovely friends :)

Hannah is my cousin and was my flower girl. She is very special to our family :)

Exchanging our wedding rings;
I bind myself to you, now and forever

You ROCK Zack! I'm so glad you're "The One!" for me. Because remember everything about our wedding day, I decided we're going to get re-married every year on our anniversary.

Does anyone have a problem with that?
No? OK, perfect :)
See you for rehearsal ;)

Have I mentioned I loved getting married??? :)

all photos courtesy Mandy Gould

T.G.I.F.

It is Friday and I am SO glad! For some reason this week was particularly tiring. I have no clue why. I worked every day...? Well, never mind, I did work every day. Zack took a day off this week because he was sick, and last week I took a day off. Not only do I spend 8.5 hours at work, daily, but I also spend roughly 1.04 hours commuting because of traffic. And also because I still don't know my way around town to know if this Target is closer or if this one is. Same goes for the grocery store and bank. I feel like I spend a lot of unnecessary time driving.

I had a bit of a rough start this morning. I blame it on not wanting to get out of bed so I was almost late for work. Yeah, not my fault. But I fixed it by having a hand full of Combos for breakfast. With some Vitamin water. See, balance :)

Yesterday morning was quite adventurous. First, I got out of the shower scared because I thought someone was in our house. Zack was sound asleep and here I am dripping wet and scared. Poor thing had to wake up to me screaming at him to fight off "the attacker." He must have been so confused :( Well, we realized it was just our neighbor Betty getting out of her car (at 6:19 a.m.?) and then going into her house. I swear it sounded just like someone was pulling our blinds open and crawling through the window. Turns out it was just her squeaky door. OK. Glad that was nothing. But I still wasn't satisfied. I took a little walk around the inside of our house... and guess what I found... a window with a 2" gap from when we took out the air conditioner about a month ago. Yeah. So THAT is why I have been "freezing cold and so uncomfortable" these last few weeks. Humph.

:) Mystery solved.

We have some fun plans for this weekend. Made by "The Planner" herself :)
Right now I can't get out of my head how wonderful and warm it's going to be tonight when I can get in bed again.

Did you know it's supposed to snow here Monday and Tuesday?
Good thing that window is closed!

Dear Bonnie Bell...

Ya know, it's a good thing it's getting cooler out, because right now that means one thing: craft season!!! Now that summer has passed and I can't spend meaningless hours tanning myself outside... Not that I had time for that this year because I, ummm, had to work full-time all summer for the first time ever. (But I'm only 23 so don't give me your glares yet.) Anyways... I started my first "craft" over the summer. Zack kept asking, Why do you need to buy more fabrics Maggs? You already have one project you're working on. And it's not even done!

Well, yeah, but it's also a PURSE, my Hubby, so it's not really a craft.

I made a little pact with myself (privately) that I would finish this purse by Friday night! I am so close to being done... I have maybe six more hours... I can squeeze that in, right? :) Then I'll be even closer to selling it and making some money.

I have to remember that Zack didn't know me until college. So, what he has been left out of all these years that me starting something and not finishing it right away isn't unusual. Another thing that isn't unusual: starting a project the night before it's due. I'm sorry Dad, for all those late school nights! :(

Memories are the best thing ever. When I think of what I used to collect as a kid, one (long) word comes to mind: Bonnie Bell Lip Smacker Chapsticks <3 style="text-decoration: underline;">

my poochie

In case anyone was wondering... if anyone has been checking our Facebook accounts... YES, we are looking for a puppy. Of course we have to ask the owners of the house we are renting... and we have to come up with some money, and we need to decide on what kind of puppy to get. BUT nonetheless, we are looking for a little pooch. I'm so excited :) Our friends Joel & Megan have a little doggie and he is so precious. Since we share so many other similarities ---friends, address, church, work place, hairstyles, marriage, lack of money, lol...

That is all I'm asking Santa for this year.

Well, maybe a puppy and a new purse.
I'm undecided...

This is their Magglio, he is a cockapoo and is about 5 months old :)

scarves, pumpkins, and inspiration

This little bug has made its way into our home, and I've had enough! First I was sick for almost a week, and now Zack is sick. We're each taking turns staying home from work this year I suppose. We are having fun celebrating our first fall together as a married couple. We had a great weekend. We were able to spend some time with our friends Joel & Megan. I had to whip out the box of scarves and hats Friday night. Brrr, it's sure chilly outside. Totally loving it though! We bought a huge pumpkin over the weekend to carve and Zack raked the leaves into the street (thank you city of Ferndale!). I did wifey things, like cleaning and baking cookies. I brought a little baggie into work today and it is almost empty :) Guess everyone does love a homemade Chocolate Chip cookie.

In between cleaning "sessions," I found little projects that I've been meaning to do since we moved in. For instance, hang all my purses somewhere so I can admire them daily. I got a few out and Zack said, Oh, I haven't seen that one in a while. [pause] Or that one. Maybe you should donate a few...

Umm, do you want dinner this week?

;)

I have been reading this blog pretty diligently and it is has been a really inspirational way to spend some free time. It is written by a wife and mother named Angie, and she lives in Tennessee with her family. In January of this year, their family was told that the baby she was expecting would most likely not survive. The blog follows the storyline from when the news was first delivered up to today. Angie is a very, very strong Christian woman, but what is so great about this blog is her ability to be real with her feelings and frustrations. Some days she is mad at God, but she never stops loving and praising Him. I invite you to start from the beginning and read forward. Remember to read from the bottom up (newest posts are at the top of the page.) It is wonderful...

That is all I have for today. Thanks for reading :)

Collin & Jack playing in their PJ's, my favorite boys:

Jack Riley, 6 months: preview pictures from photographer Bruce Valentine

a lengthly re-cap

I'm just about to finish up my first week of work at my new job. It is a lovely change from where I was working before we moved. Little things like better lighting, having my own desk (and it's HUGE!!!), and a not so detailed employee handbook. It's just a little more laid back in Troy because it's strictly an office setting. Before, outside the department door were many, many offset and flexo presses! Manufacturing requires a lot stricter policy... it's very obvious now. Another great change is that I'm working first shift! Finally! Zack and I can now have dinner together, or dinner with Joel & Megan Lane (they live about 2 miles from us in Ferndale). It's very nice to be on the same schedule as my hubby.

We are going to try out a new church Sunday that Joel & Megan have helped start.

Last weekend Zack had lots of OT to do... so he stayed in town and worked. I went to my parents and had so much fun with my family. Saturday afternoon we went to an apple orchard and went on a wagon ride, ate THE MOST delicious donuts and drank some cider. Collin was so cute... he went on the "piggy" ride (barrels made into car-seats and painted like a pig, then hooked up to a tractor). He and Matt also rode on the mini FIRE TRUCK (probably the most exciting thing of the day!) Collin is just my precious nephew. He called me earlier last week and asked if I would take him to ride the Carousel at the mall. Of course I will!

This weekend will be fun also. Jess is coming to visit me Saturday for an overnight. YAY, SLEEPOVERS!!! And a friend (that I worked with at John Henry) and his wife will be in town so they'll probably stop by... Good times :)

Next weekend we are going to Petoskey to visit Zack's family. Haven't been there since mid-August I think... We have seen them a few times with the move and all... I have to remember it's always so much cooler up there, so bring a coat! There is a bridal expo at Castle Farms (Charlevoix, MI) and Cindy's store will be modeling. So... Zack and I get to play Bride & Groom again... yay! :)