November?

Where did November go?

I feel like it was just Fall and now we are heading straight into Winter! 

Here's my November 2011:

I was a vendor at the Middle School's career fair for Architecture and Construction! 

It was fun talking to the students about what I do!

Fall Fun Night at Church with a hayride and Chili Cook off; I got second place!

I went to the Christmas Village in Nashville with my cousin, Susan!

We had a BLAST! :)

I went to our local craft fair with my Mom, as usual they had a lot of great stuff!

My Husband and I attended 4 Thanksgivings! 

And SHOPPING was involved this past month! 

Although I didn't brave Black Friday, I have been getting some GREAT DEALS!

I'm happy to say I only have a couple of presents left to purchase before Christmas rolls around! :)

I'm in the process of making a couple of lists for those of you who need help shopping for Christmas!
I'll be posting them soon!

Tips for a Bride to Be:

I meant to do this post a LONG time ago, but never got around to it, til NOW! :)

From experience from my own, my sister's, and cousin's I really feel like I can share some helpful Wedding tips!

Wedding Tips Part I:

Tip1: Start with a Wedding Binder
-You'll have everything in one place.
-Less likely to loose something.
-Holds inspirational photos, clippings, or websites.
-Has a place for information for vendors/bridesmaids/groomsman and phone numbers!

Tip 2: Inspiration
- Look through magazines (Tear out or make copies of things you like)
- Go to The Knot.com, a great place for ideas (print out images you like)
The inspiration goes for Everything! Cut or print out dresses, flowers, tuxes, tables, cake, chairs, food, anything and everything you would like to see at your wedding!....And put Inspirational clippings in your BINDER!

I showed just about EVERY vendor pictures of what I wanted, with a few tweaks.
It helps get your point across, which is important because you want to make sure you are on the same page as your vendor is and vice versa.

Tip 3: Information
-Get all vendors information - Name, Address, Email, Telephone (and 2nd Telephone#)
-Compile a list of vendors to give to your maid or matron of honor, your wedding coordinator, and someone you trust but that is not in the wedding party .
Giving this list of information out a couple of days/weeks before the wedding will help insure - you the bride will not be rustling through your binder on your wedding day. Also your Maid of Honor or Wedding Coordinator can take care of things with out YOU actually having to know what is happening. (Ex: The caterer hasn't shown up and is 30 mins late......one of the chosen people with your list, can call or drive to their business and see if they need help or locate them!)

Tip 4: Reserve
- As soon as you narrow down your venues and vendors...BOOK IT! The sooner the better, photographers and venues book up quickly!
- Go over contracts and information. Make sure the venues don't have any rules you can't abide by, EX: must be catered by the venue facility, or no DJ/ Alcohol allowed. If you can't avoid or work something out, find another venue!
- Also reserve your rentals. Ex: Tents, tables, chairs, linens, silverware, plates, glasses, dance floor etc.

Tip 5: Coordinator
- Hire a Wedding Coordinator, if not for the planning process, just for the Wedding Rehearsal and Wedding Day.
- Things will go over more smoothly for your Coordinator to give directions to your family and friends rather than yourself, especially if you hire a professional.
- I had a great one and would highly recommend booking a coordinator for the wedding and rehearsal.

Tip 6: Quadruple Check
- Absolutely quadruple check your Marriage Certificate!
- True Story: My Husband (then fiance) go to our local civic office to obtain our Marriage Licence. We proceed to fill out the forms, then we return them to the counter. The lady types in the information, prints a sample off and tells us to look over and verify our information. Our names, address', birth dates, and socials were correct. It wasn't until after our wedding, our Preacher who was signing his name on the certificate points out that my Husband's ethnicity was wrong on the form. I thought, what? we looked over that entire form. Also, not to mention the lady typed it in with my Husband standing there. So just make sure you double check every inch of that form AFTER they print it out! Some information is in fine print.
-Also quadruple check your new information on your new Social Security card and Driver's License. My maiden name consists of names that can all be First, Middle, and Last names. During my experience changing my name on my Driver's License, I had to correct the lady three times in effort to get the correct name on my new driver's license. Quadruple Check! :)


That's all of Wedding Tips Part I !

Mrs. Noble

My wonderful best friend Whitney got married this past weekend!

The wedding was beautiful - as was the bride! :)

The new Mr. & Mrs. Noble had a FUN and Delicious reception!

We all danced the night away!

I forgot to post about her Nashville Bachelorette Party, so here's a peek at the fun we had!

I monogrammed her a little something for her present.

A bag to put her little belongings in! 

Instead of monogramming her a Wedding gift my friends and I decided to chip in and get her something big off her registry! We found the last Arthur's Court UT chip and dip tray in Tennessee! So if any of you have one of these hang on to it....it's discontinued! We loved it as much as Whitney did, we all love our Alma Mater! :)

It was a great weekend filled with fun and friends!

Congratulations to the New Mr.& Mrs. Noble!

When things fall into place...

I love when things work themselves out. 

Its not that I don't try to work them out, it is just some things I
let be. 

Michael and I were talking during our lunch breaks about the gas prices about a month ago. 

Both of us commute, so it's a hot topic in our conversations.  Michael being the smart guy he is, figures out how much more money it will cost us per month if gas hits $5. Let me just tell you....you don't want to know the figure. I hadn't even started to eat my lunch during this conversation and I was already sick. 

Sick about the figure he came up with.

 We proceeded with the conversation then, I said " I don't really want to talk about it."  

Now, I know that is a very grown-up way to handle it (haha),

 but Michael knows me and says "Ok, I've got to go anyway." 

(Disclaimer: the above comments were not said in anger or frustration. 

I just really didn't want to think about it at that time!)

Well I did think about it a little more during lunch, but when I got back to work, I put it aside. 

I put it aside for a good while with my "let it be" philosophy. 

God has a way of timing and working things out, oh so smoothly.

A relative of Michael's passed away the next week and I went to the visitation with my parents (Michael wasn't home yet...we commute remember?). I ended up seeing a friend from middle school/high school. We talked....found out we have multiple things in common. Even distantly kin? Yes, you know my family is huge! 

She commutes also, to an office that is about a 5 minutes from where I work.

All of that said = carpooling!

Not everything works out, but some things will if you just let it be and let God take care of it.
If it is supposed to be, then it will be.
: )

Hand Written Blog

I wasn't tagged to do this, but I love looking at people's handwriting. 
Mine is very eclectic, mixing cursive and print throughout a word. Supposedly that means I'm artistic! haha.

The rules:

1. What's your name / blogger name?

2. What's your blog's URL?

3. Write "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

4. Favorite quote?

5. Your favorite song?

6. Your favorite band / singers?

7. Anything else you want to say?

8. Tag 3 ladies to participate.

Here is my handwritten blog:

I tag: 

My Sister, Laura at The Vandiford Family

Camille at The Brown's Buzz

Tara at Its a Whole New World

I'm Proud to Be a Tennessee Vol!

Once again, I missed the actually day of Kelly's Korner's Show US your Life....But I wanted to show everyone my Alma Mater!

The University of Tennessee and Me were meant to be!

When you go to a college for Architecture, there are certain schools who have accredited programs.
 I chose to apply to The University of Tennessee and Auburn, both of which are accredited.
I got my acceptance letter in the mail a month earlier than anticipated, just so happens that affected my now-Husband staying at UT for another year!

The Art+ Architecture Building....Where I lived for the 5 year Architecture Program.
The picture on the right is the interior of the building. There is an atrium with faculty offices spilling out into the space.

This is a picture of me at my desk in my Fifth Year Studio.

The Architecture Program was Ranked in the Top 20 in the USA!

It never hurts that the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship started the year before I graduated high school, so staying in-state was a no-brainer!
Also during high school, I took many trips to Knoxville to tour the school. Attending some football games growing up helped seal the deal! : )

Click here for "famous" people that went to UT!

UT was a great school, I ended up meeting some of my best friends there (all of which were in the Architecture program with me)!

Although my College experience was heavy laden with Art+Architecture Building All-Nighters, cutting my fingers with Exacto knives (making models), calculating stair heights and square footages, and consuming all sorts of junk food as a "meal".

It was also filled with Best Friends, Going to Basketball Games, Football Games, having my own "desk" in studio on campus, learning to design, and great trips to the Potato Bar in Gibbs.

PS: We went to the UT vs Georgia game last Saturday! It was great going back and seeing all the changes on campus! We wandered in toured Ayres Hall on the Hill. Michael and I had a Math class together in Ayres.

Stylish Blogger Award

My lovely sister Laura gave me a Stylish Blogger Award! 

Thanks SIS! 

Go check out her Awesome Photography Skills!

To participate in the Stylish Blogger Award you do the following:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you the award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Award other bloggers.

4. Contact bloggers and tell them about the award.

My 7 :

1. I'm terribly behind on blogging. But my first need is to change my blog's header to 2011! :)

2. I love anything crafty, whether it be drawing, sewing, designing, or decorating.

3. I'm really excited for Spring and Summer this year! Ready for warm weather instead of snow!

4. I love to cook, my Mom says I'm just like her Mother when it comes to cooking. 

Just last night I gave Michael some different options for dinner, he chose one, and then said "it's like you flip a switch". He was referring to the fact that I can whip up a dinner pretty quickly 

(as in....ready, set, go!)! 

5. I really want to start my own cookbook! 

6. I'm thankful for my wonderful family, immediate and extended! :)

7. Today's my Mom's Birthday! I love you and all the wonderful traits you've passed on to me! 

I hope you have a great birthday! I love you Moma!

I would like to give the Stylish Blogger Award too:

The Most Entertaining Blog: Tara

The Most Exciting Blog: Camille

The Most Cute Kid Friendly Blog: Ashley 

Peace Amid the Storm

I found the doves pictured below huddled next to one another beside our house on Sunday morning. If you've watched the news you know about the recent Middle Tennessee flooding. We didn't have any flooding in our area, thankfully, but we did get plenty of rain. The pictures were taken before the next round of storms hit Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.




P.S. Please excuse the clover, I have yet to weed our flower bed!

Lucy............ you got sum splaining to do!!

Yes, Rickey I do. I'm sure the few people that look at this already know what is going on in my life, but if you don't- I got a job! Yes, I have a job! So I'm sure you now realize why I haven't been as bloggy lately! I'm slowing getting into a routine and now maybe I can blog some of my creations!

I have MANY projects underway.....but since they aren't finished, here are a couple things I've completed within the last month.

This is a Valentine's Wreath that I actually started the first of January.....I got it done just in time to decorate my door!
It is a grapevine wreath (made by Michael's cousin). I found 2 Christmas garlands on sale at BigLots for 50 cents! And the hearts are from Hobby Lobby. I painted "Happy Valentine's Day" and "From the Moores" on the large hearts and the small ones only took a couple of coats and some adornment-glitter!



And this gorgeous silk pillow is from my Mom! It is the exact color of our bedroom walls and curtains. And of course it didn't hurt to design a monogram for it!



I hope to show you more creations soon!

Gracie's Visit to TN!

My sister Laura and her husband Matt went on a weekend vacation. We meet them halfway to pick up my niece Gracie and well.....shop :). These are some pictures from the visit, we already miss them!

This deserves its own post...

So as my last entry showed you, I entered some stuff in the fair this year. Well, little did I know that I shouldn't enter my architectural models in the fair. The models they refer to are cars, trucks, and ahem this.....



a skull thingy-on a monster truck? which I'm sure is technically a model. But I entered this.....



A model that I made for my project design for Georgetown University. The building is made out of basswood, and the base is made of mdf,chipboard, and LOTS of graphite dust (that's why the base is grey).Michael warned me that most models entered are not like mine. BUT I remember this crazy large awesome boat I saw entered one year....I totally would've agreed to second place that year. But I guess I'm just biased to my own work! :)

Fair Entries

This is my Fair Picture Entry-it won 1st Place! I was so excited! I took this picture last year (of course) while in a photography class. This is one of the many pictures I hand developed, it was a lot of fun!




This is a bowl I entered in the Heritage category. I made the pottery pieces while in an UT wheel spinning pottery class.

I Love Fall!

Oranges, browns, and yummy yellows! I finally designed a little on my blog, I know it still needs work. But for now, it is Falled Out! Plus the fair is this week and I am super excited about it! Mostly about FAIR FOOD! This will be the first time in five years I am actually home for the fair. It is also the first time I am entering photos and ceramics in the fair! Oh and I didn't forget the UT game this weekend, Go Vols! :) UT also gave me a little inspiration on my design! Happy Fall!