Rennovation 1 - The Bathroom

Since our dream wedding on July 8th, 2012, we have been working non stop on our new home. I've finished three, almost four rooms at this point, and I'm have a blast painting and decorating! Since I've taken on this new hobby, I though I might as well blog about it! I hope you enjoy watching our house become a home!

I'm a sucker for anything vintage. When we were house hunting, I demanded to buy an old home. They have so much character and class that new homes don't have. I'd take an old home over a new home any day.  Although, a down side to having an older home is the style of living isn't the same then as it is now. For example, we have 2 bathrooms, both extremely tiny.  Obviously people back in the day didn't need  space or outlets to get ready?!

The upstairs bathroom has adorable black and white tile along the wall and floor. When we bought the house, the walls were lime green. It didn't look awful - but not my style.  This was the room before:

Really cute, but just a little too busy. I went with something much more refreshing. You can sort of see the lime green paint.


The flash makes the walls look more green than blue in some of the pictures. Here is what I have done:

I love love our bathroom. Although it's tiny, its really refreshing and super fun.  The aqua paint looks really great and cheery next to the black and white. :)

What colors do you like with black and white?

Hope you enjoyed the first peek into the Phelps place!
XOXO
Mrs. Phelps

Birthday??

This week was CA-RAY-ZAY my friends. Too much is going on! This semester was supposed to "coast by". Well, there has been no coasting happening. Hurricanes and tsunamis, yes. Coasting, no. When they told me it'd be hard to plan a wedding this semester and try to graduate, I didn't believe it. Now, I do wholeheartedly.

Nathan's birthday was Saturday. Let's be honest, I'm TERRIBLE at remembering birthdays. I don't know why. It's a curse. If you've been my friend for over a year, you know this. I can name at least 5 people off the top of my head whose birthday I have forgotten. And its usually the people I'm closest to. It's a problem. :-/

It's not that I don't know they are approaching... it's that I think I have more time than I do.  I kept thinking his bday was a week further away than it was. Friday rolled around and it dawned on me that his birthday was THIS saturday, not next - AKA tomorrow. Panic. Shock. Guilt. I freaked out wondering what to get him. WAY to0 late to get something social together. Then I realized that I had planned on making him a scrap book (cheezey - judge me - don't care) for Christmas that I of course never got around to.

SOOO naturally I woke up at 8:30 Saturday morning, made him a birthday cake, and put as much of the scrapbook together that I could.

After baking, icing, and decorating his cake, I realized I should drop out of hygiene school and open a cake shop.

I was SO impressed with my innate cake decorating skills, I decided to do our wedding and groom's cake to save some $$$$$.

We had lunch together and I brought his presents in. He actually liked the scrapbook (not as much as he would've like a new watch) and thought it was sweet. We're trying to save on money right now so we said birthdays are nbd this year. Although the cake was embarrassing to claim, it was delicious.

 Here's the front cover of the scrapbook (our first date! (-:  )

 He was a great sport and was very appreciative and happy with his gifts. We spent a lot of quality time together and had a relaxing day. Isn't he so cute?! :) :)

I'm learning to plan ahead, slowing but surely. Whenever I graduate and get a big girl job, I'm going to overcompensate for my friend's bdays. I hope. Hooray for birthdays! 

Save the Date; Ask the Maid.

Save the Date

So. Wedding planning has been going great so far. Our save the dates finally came in - I am SO pleased with how they turned out! My dear friend Jena Marie was so sweet to take them for us, we are so grateful! (It doesn't hurt that the people in the pictures are terribly attractive).  Here is the front:

Mushy, but totally us! :) When they came in the mail, I was slightly overwhelmed. The ginormous stack of postcards just sat on my coffee table staring at me saying, "address me, stamp me, and put me in the mail!" 

Over the weekend we were able to get 50 in the mail, but not with ease of course. I addressed my first save the date, and with a big smile on my face, I went to put the stamp on. As I brought the stamp closer to the upper right hand corner of the card, my smile quickly turned into a panicked frown. "Oh NO. You've GOT to be kidding me right now", I said to myself.  I put another picture of us as the background. What I didn't realize was that my head, (and fabulously curled hair) was going to be covered by this annoying, ugly flower and the number 29.

   I put the stamp to the left of my head, and thought, "OMG, What if this won't go through the mail? Our save the dates are RUINED!" So naturally I called every post office in the southwest. I emailed a picture of my vain situation to Mr. PostMan, and  fortunately he said they will 'probably' be okay. So I'm just waiting for them all to be thrown in the trash of the Del City mailroom.  But, if this is one of our only wedding mishaps, I think I'll survive. :)

Ask the Maid

Deciding who my bridesmaids would be was one of the hardest things I've had to do. I have so many dear, sweet friends that I love and know I would be closer to if distance wasn't an issue. After prayerful consideration, I chose my maids. I didn't want to just call them up; I wanted to do something sentimental. I got on ole faithful pinterest and found my perfect plan of action. Paper Dolls!! Here's my motivation: 

I had all the home supplies I needed except the cards, which I found at a boutique on campus corner.

  

I just loved these pink, delicate cards, and added the rhinestone for a nice touch. Inside the card was our wedding date, the paper dolls (each girl's doll on top), and a poem that said,

"As I prepare for the day that I am to be a Bride,

It would mean the world to have you standing by my side."

Here are the dolls:

The paper dresses are just like the dresses I chose for them and each doll's hair matches each girl. I got to watch each girl open theirs and it was such a blast! They all loved them and were so excited to be a bridesmaid. Here are a few pics of Jena and Molly opening theirs when we went dress shopping:

Yay! I'm so happy to celebrate my big day with these girls and I can't wait for all the fun events, showers, and memories ahead. I feel truly blessed to have 6 awesome, christian women stand beside me on my wedding day. 

Wheelin and Dealin

This week has been In. Sane. Nathan and I have been busy planning for the wedding and trying to get as much done as we could before Thursday. Thursday was the day that I would no longer be useful to the rest of the world for a solid 5 - 7 days. Thursday, I got my wisdom teeth out.

It started when we said good-bye to Jena and Grahm Wednesday night. We went into their tiny one bedroom apt to say good bye around 11:15pm after driving back from Ponca City to meet with a caterer. I told myself to keep it together. So did Nathan. There was pressure. I walked in, saw all the boxes in the room, and literally almost lost in right then and there. Fortunately I managed to hold it together until we got back to nathan's apt. I sat on the bed and started bawling; all the emotions finally came tumbling out.
"What's wrong, babe?"
"Sniff, sniff, I'm dying tomorrow morning, sniff, and so is JENA!! boooo hoooo"
"Babe, no one is dying. You need to relax about your surgery, and be happy for Jena and Grahm! This is good for them."
He made me feel a little better, but the crying didn't stop. Eventually I fell asleep while praying that I wouldn't die during my surgery.

Day 1: Surgery Day
I walked into the operating room, laid down in the chair. The nurse hooked all the equipment up to me and Dr. Sullivan administered the IV, which went surprisingly well. I warmed him about my past experience with needles in my veins where I started hyperventilating and crying uncontrollably, but apparently my prayers worked because it wen't seriously smooth. She put the mask over my nose and told me to take deep breaths, and the last thing I remember was the Dr. saying, "don't be nervous, this is your happy hour!"
 Before I know it, Im in a wheel chair making my way to Nathan's jeep with a mouth full of gauze. And I am sooo out of it!  Of course he is videoing and taking pictures of me. This is me off the anesthesia:

During one of the videos, I explain what happened. I stated that after they hooked me up and I fell asleep, they were "wheelin and dealin". Professional dental terminology, obviously. We headed to Harry and Tiffs to get my soup and get well card that they made for me. It was so sweet of them! Tiffany's soup was soo yummy and it was basically the only thing I could eat and keep down... which leads to day 2.

Day 2: What goes down, must come up....
I woke up in excruciating pain at 5:00am. Nathan stayed at my apartment to take care of me :) I called him in the room for assistance because I needed some more pain pills to go back to sleep. So I tried to drink some water, and about 15 seconds later I was puking my guts up. We waited about 5 minutes and I drank 1/2 a cup of soup. That went smooth. Then I took my pain pills with water, laid my head down, and 15 seconds later I was vomiting again uncontrollably. At this point, I started crying because it hurt so bad and I was so weak. He held my hair back and rubbed my back while I dry heaved for the next 5 minutes. Then I slept.

This was me after I awoke, above. I only threw up one more time and I was feeling much better and holding food down by the end of the day.

Day 3: Chubby Bunny
By Saturday I was able to take a shower, eat mashed potatoes, and actually move around. I was making progress. One of my best friends, Ashley, came over and brought me soup, chocolate protein drink, itunes gift card, and some other goodies to make myself feel better. It was so sweet! My friends and family made me feel very loved during this time.

Day 4: Today
School starts tomorrow, and I am really not ready for it. Im actually kinda freaked out that I have to go back into that building for one more semester. I just want to be done. :( I am feeling much better, although still in some pain. My diet is still soup and soft things. Im really ready for that to change.

Overall, Im glad I didn't die. I came pretty close a few times, but because of my finace' and dearest friends/family, I pulled through. Im sad Jena and Grahm are gone, Im sad that school is starting, but Im more happy because I know that means I am closer to starting my actual life. We've got a wedding to plan, and diploma to grab, and then a life to happily live. :)

NYE and Wedding Dresses

Hello folks

 So I have a lot to catch up on! Well first I want to share about New Years Eve.  The six pack (Jena/Grahm, Molly/Jude, and Nathan/I) drove down to Dallas to celebrate New Years Eve together.  Unfortunately, I was battling a head cold along with 75% of Americans. Seemed like everyone had this cold! That definitely put a damper on things, but alas, we had a great time!

The drive down was a lot of fun and Molls and I got to catch up on so much stuff. Friday night we all just watched the OU game, pretty chill. Saturday, on the other hand, was quite eventful! The girls and I went to a boutique in Dallas so I could try on wedding dresses, (which was my favorite part of the trip)! The first dress I tried on was a GORGEOUS Maggie Sottero dress, but of course it was waaayy over our budget.

After dress shopping, Nathan and I drove to my grandparents, who we've spent NYE with every year since I was 8. Splitting up the trip was hard, but super fun. We had lunch with my family and then we all headed to Central Market to try some free samples. Karlie and I got the most brilliant idea and decided to share the take home size of gelato. I got tiramisu, and she got wild orange. It was to die for.

Nathan and I piled back into the jeep and head back to the hotel to get ready NYE. The girls spent 2 hours getting fabulous, while the guys watched tv. Molly told us about these fake eye lashes, so of course we had to buy them and try them, and of course they burnt the crap out of our eyes and we had to re-do our make up. It was pretty hilarious.  When we were finally ready, we all had a great, fun, crazy time together and got to dance and kiss our lovers into the new year.

We said goodbye to the clan Sunday morning and headed back to Ft. Worth to see my family again. We had our famous lamb lunch and relaxed. Everyone left that evening except my Mom, Doc, and myself. The next day my mom, Karen, and I got ready and went up to Davids Bridal to check out their gown selection. I was skeptical.

After trying on a few dresses, I was WAY impressed. I found almost the identical dress to the boutique dress, for $1000 less. It is soooo gorgeous, and exactly what I want. I can't describe it, but I can tell you it's perfect.  After I decided it was THE one, I got to ring the bell with teary eyes as my mom, Karen, and the DB staff applauded. It was a really special experience.

So, another thing checked off my to-do list and a super successful weekend in Texas!

Will You Marry Me?

Those 4 small words are some of heaviest words in the English language. Most people only say them or hear them once in their life. Well, my turn to hear them was Saturday.

Nathan and I have been talking about getting married for awhile; we've been ready for about 3-4 months. I didn't know when the proposal was coming, but I was hoping (and praying) it would happen over Christmas break. I did not care how/where he did it, but I did have two requirements for myself. 1. I would be surprised, and 2. I  would cry (name two girls that don't...). Well my friends, he did GOOD.

Nathan and I had plans to open our Christmas gifts from one another on Saturday morning. We bought a small Christmas tree and lots of decorations, and we had decorated my apartment on Friday. So Saturday morning, Nathan (who has a key to my apartment) came over early and made us breakfast and peppermint mocha. When I finally awoke, we ate together and then sat down in front of the toasty fire place to open gifts. 

As I opened my last gift from him I realized there was nothing in the box... except a guitar pick tapped to the bottom. I was like, "um... what?? I don't get it." And he replied, "well give it to me and I will show you." Then he picked up the guitar and started playing me a song he had been writing since we first started dating. He sang about our past struggles and how we have loved each other through the hardships and we are stronger and better for it. To honor his request, I won't read all of the lyrics. But I will share the beginning and ending of the song:

(V1)

From across the room I saw you there

Held down butterflies when you caught me staring

You walked to me and took my hand, didn't know if I had the strength to stand

On the first of the steps of my walk with you, loving you was so easy to do.

So I gazed in your eyes for a minute or two, saw the love and the hurt that you held in you

And I hoped to fall in love with you.

(V4)

So here we are, the moment of truth,

No turning back, all I want is you

As we walk together, won't you take my hand

When one's not strong enough the other can stand

There's no one else I'd rather be with, with you my troubles just don't exist

Because I am in love with you

(v5)

We'll figure it out as we go along, keep adding verses to our song

Because I am in love with you

Through the years our love will change, don't worry about it cuz every day

Ill fall in love with you again.

Through the tears at the end of the song, Nathan pulled out a ring box, opened it, and asked, "will you marry me?" Obviously, I said yes. It was magical. We laughed, cried, and kissed for the next hour, and I made him play me the song over again because he was crying so much through it. Precious! 

THE ring

One more surprise that he had up his sleeve was that he invited our dearest friends and family to celebrate with us at my brother's house. It was the best engagement party I could've hoped for. I am still in shock sometimes when I look down and see the GORGEOUS ring on my finger. We can't wait to plan our wedding and spend our lives together. The Lord has truly blessed us. 

Thanks for reading our story. I'm loving this sweet time in our relationship and looking forward to being Mrs. Phelps! 

Wrapping Up Summer part 1.

Im sad to see that my last post has been more than 5 months ago... WOW. Doesn't seem like I've neglected my blog for that long! But looking back over those 5 short months, so much has happened.

This summer I've been working at a Pediatric dental office 3 to 4 days a week (it's harder than it sounds) in Edmond.  I love working with kids everyday and I think someday I might want some of my own.  They are too stinkin cute! One nice thing about working there this summer is that I got 2 weeks off for summer vaca. It was seriously the best 2 weeks of staycation I've ever spent in Oklahoma.

Monday night I drove to Inola and stayed with the rentals. I got to have lunch with my mom and grandpa and then hang out with him for a while. After I left his house in Jenks, I stopping at an antique mall and bought a legit floppy hat for $12. Then I spent time with April and my 3 favorite children in the world.. that is always entertaining! Dinner with my sweet Great Aunt Mary and Nina, which was lovely because she is a hoot and we talked about everything from outdoor weddings in oklahoma to her college and early married days in California. The next evening my mom and I went and looked at a venue for a possible wedding in the future, which I happened to really love. :) That night and next day I visited my best friends from high school, Amanda and Keahna, where we reminisced and caught up on life. I also spent the night at my sisters place and got to hang out with her and Mark and their 3 dogs. It was really great. So after 5 fabulous days in Tulsa, Nathan and I headed see my dad, Aunt Connie and the Bills at their house on lake Eufala. That was filled with lots of food, hot tubbing, lake time, and convo.

When the boy and I left Eufala, it was the beginning of special surprise trip for the weekend. He took me all over Tulsa to places like the Philbrook museum, Tulsa performing arts center, dinner, movies, and then to hobby lobby to let me pick out some new art supplies. It was a very thoughtful and romantic trip. He spoiled me rotten, and I love him.
                                                          Here we are at the Philbrook

 

The second week back in the city was filled with sleeping, eating, relaxing, laying out, sleeping, and not having a care in the world. It was amazing.

So no I haven't been to any beaches this summer, but I've spent lots of quality time with the people I love the most. So wow, thats just a preview of my summer so far! Lots to catch everyone up on!

What has been special about your summer? Have you gotten to spend time with friends and family?