So That was New...

Podcast Tuesday, and it's full of wedding stories! Enjoy!

 Listen here!

Thanks for all the kind words about the wedding venue beauty! We really had very little to do with it, but I'll thank you for those who did put all the hours into it!

For those of you who asked if I would be able to post wedding pictures...yes, I will, but I've decided to wait until after the bride has seen them. Seems only kind, right? So I'll tell you about the rehearsal today and then I'll save the rest for when she has her pictures and has had a chance to share them herself!

(And by "the rest," I do NOT mean I will post all 1592 I took on the wedding day. You're welcome.)

So Friday night was the rehearsal and dinner, and I was the photographer on deck for the evening. It was still pretty warm so I was glad I brought a sleeveless dress and put my hair up into a (most unattractive) pony for the night.

The pony may not have been attractive, but you know what was? MY DATE!!!!!

 Isn't he so handsome?

We had pizza for dinner (which was delicious after a day of chores) and then we assembled for the great rehearsal of 2017.

(Photographers have a peeking license during prayer. Didn't know if you knew that.)

There was this groomsman I had a crush on...

(Sorry some of the pictures aren't 100% clear. I was still messing with my camera and trying to take against a bright light. Sigh.)

Everyone in their places! It really did make a lovely scene there at the front.

So here's a funny story. After the first run of the rehearsal, the party went outside to do a second run. Right around then, I heard an engine revving, and then I heard the minister say, "Bekah can be the best man." WHAT?!?!?

Turns out the best man had ridden his motorcycle to the rehearsal and the "pop up shower" in the forecast was really a long rain. He and his girlfriend went home at "halftime" to try to beat the rain. They needed a best man (or someone to stand in that place) and they didn't have any extras to play the part. So they delegated me. 

Never been a best man before! (And I won't lie. I wasn't that great at it.)

The awkward escorting of the matron of honor. LOL! 

So that was my new adventure at the rehearsal. Always something, right?

We stayed after for a bit to help with some last minute decorating and then went home for a little sleep before the big day!

Wedding Assembly

I've mentioned on and off for the last couple of months that Ryan's sister has been planning a wedding. Guess I never mentioned she planned it for this past weekend. (Following in good Shaffer footsteps: two months of planning!)

Bre wanted to get married on the family farm in one of the barns. But the barn is an actual farm barn. (Not like a livestock barn, but a storage barn.) So for the last two months, the family has been wildly planning every little detail of how to transform that barn into a venue! They all worked so hard envisioning and crafting the details. Because of our crazy May and Ryan's work schedule, we haven't been involved in the work until this weekend.

Ryan took Friday off work, and we headed out to the farm to help as needed throughout the day. I was stunned at how amazing the place looked when we got there. (I had actually never been in that particular barn before, but I was still stunned.)

Isn't it beautiful!?

So many lights strung perfectly throughout, an arbor at the front made from vintage doors, giant spools turned into tables, and amazing landscaping at the entrance.

We jumped in and started helping with chores. Ryan cleaned the insides of those massive doors.

(And yes, that is a dance floor hand constructed from pallets. It was quite a magnificent piece to behold.)

He and Andrew (the groom) hung a projector screen on one of the walls.

(Not pictured: I handed tools to them.)

That's a big spool!

Ryan and Andrew went out to put up signs at some intersections, and they sent this back to me. I am one lucky lady. My happily ever after indeed begins right there with that handsome man.

Meanwhile, I was on veggie cutting duty. Turned my hand orange and got a blister, but we got every last one of those veggies cut and prepped.

(That's our niece, Kelsey. I found out later that someone at the reception asked if I was her mom. I'd claim her!)

So here's a conundrum. I'd been teaching myself to curl my hair for this wedding. But I had forgotten what country living was like. Namely, windy. When I went to the car to get something, this happened. For real.

And that's when I realized a ponytail was going to be the only option for the wedding day. Not attractive on me AT ALL, but the only option if I didn't want to (a) sweat to death in a barn on a 90 degree day and (b) have my hair flooding the lens of every photo I took at the wedding.

So that was the making of the wedding venue.

OH! I didn't take a picture of it, but it was complete with the fanciest porta-potty you've ever seen in your life. Obviously a farm barn doesn't have restrooms for the masses, so they had to get something. The one they chose was this air conditioned trailer with a men's room and women's room. Pictures on the walls, music playing softly, running water, the whole bit!

I'll let you peek at a bit more later, but that's how we spent our Friday!

The Shafferland Shuffle

I do not think I could possibly be more tired than I am. This weekend was Ryan's sister's wedding, and whew! Busy couple of days!

But here's a peek at the week as a whole. I sure hope it makes sense. I have no brain left. :)

* Last Sunday was day two of trying the curly hair. I'm learning! :) This year we had just one graduation open house to attend, and it was for the younger sister of my friend, Olivia. I was so excited to see Olivia and her husband, Tom. Annnnnnnnnnnd if you heard the podcast, you remember my literal run-in with the toad...

* I spent all day Monday working on stuff for my upcoming workshop, and that night, Ryan and I went to my parents' house to work on some stuff for them. We stopped at the ice cream shop on the way there for a treat, and I looked lousy, so Ryan posed with both our cones.

* Tuesday was a gorgeous day and we even got to enjoy some coffee "out on the lanai," as Ryan likes to call it, since Kokomo is an extension of Hawaii. (Did you not know that?) That night we cashed in some Starbucks rewards and Ryan got SIX shots of espresso in his drink! I had a fun night attending the virtual book launch of my friend Erica Wiggenhorn's new study!

* Wednesday I filmed the first teaching segment for my online workshop. Whew! That was kinda crazy! When I got done, I found Braeya napping right in the middle of the hall. So random!! (But at least she stayed out of the video!) Ryan and I went for a walk that night and it was just so pretty. I loved our beautiful weather this week!

* Thursday I started working on wedding errands: picked up Ryan's sister's veil and put together the wedding emergency kit. Somehow in all of that, I hurt my back, so Ryan worked on me for a while. I think I feel the literal pain his patients experience! It helped, but my goodness, it HURT!

* Ryan took Friday off work so we could help set up at the wedding site, and then that evening, we had the rehearsal and dinner. So many stories to tell you, but here's a sneak peek!

* And then yesterday! Bre got married! Ryan was a groomsman, I was a photographer, and it was a beautiful wedding in a barn on the family farm! I'll tell you all about it next week!

The Saturday Six

One.

This was fun to look through this week! Toys of the 80's! I didn't have all of them (okay, to be fair, even half) but who didn't want Cabbage Patch dolls, Pound Puppies, and The Heart Family!?!?!?!!?!? That was my absolute favorite. And oh yes. I owned that one!

Two.

There's a new show on Bravo called Cyrus vs. Cyrus. It's a reality show based in home design (family wants rooms redone and offers a budget for the work) that features Tish Cyrus and her daughter, Brandi. (Yes, the Cyrus family.) The show is based in Nashville and the lead contractor went to high school with Ryan and me! How crazy is that! I heard about the show via Facebook, and we wanted to see him all grown up and on TV, so we've been watching. The show is actually pretty good, and it's fun/crazy to see Reid running his own construction company! And on TV!

Three.

I've been telling you all about Erica Wiggenhorn's new study on the second half of the book of Acts. It officially launched this week and is available for purchase! YAY! But Erica also announced that beginning on June 22, she'll be hosting an online study of this book! I know many of you are busy in the summer and/or are already involved in a study of some kind. But if you're not, and you'd like to be part of a group, this is your chance, and you don't even have to leave home! Here is the link to the registration and all the details. (The study is free; you only need to purchase the book.)

Four.

While you know I love an intentionally begun tradition, I also love traditions that just happen on their own. Sweet stories. Loved this one I stumbled across this week that began at the high school Ryan and I attended. (Though it started after our time.)

Five.

When Mom had her hip surgery earlier this year, I made individual serving freezer meals for her (and Dad) to enjoy during recovery. I've never done a bunch of big serving freezer meals before, but Katie Farrell from Dashing Dish offered this post this week on meals she made ahead and froze (from the Dashing Dish menu!) so she and her husband can enjoy food here in a few days after their first child arrives. I liked knowing what she picked from her own recipes!

Six.

No book this week! (I've been reading a book that isn't published yet, so I can't review it publicly just yet!) But meanwhile...I love it when Tamar does a post on the funny things her students say. She has a new one up this week! ENJOY!

Wedding Emergency Kit (On a Budget)

Ryan's sister is getting married, and I was asked to put together an emergency kit for the bridal party. Neither Ryan nor my mother had ever heard of such a thing before, and in fact, when I came home with the supplies for it, Ryan said it looked like I was preparing for Armageddon. LOL! I'm sure in some instances, weddings could be mistaken for that. (HA!)

We did not have an emergency kit at my wedding, partly because it all happened so fast that I didn't even think of such a thing, and partly because I am completely Type A, so I travel through life with an emergency kit. I try to make sure I have with me at all times anything I could possibly need. (And Ryan, you can't make fun of me for that because you carry a medicine bag with you whenever we leave home for longer than 15 minutes!)

If you're not familiar with a wedding emergency kit, the basic explanation is that it provides anything the wedding party might need in a pinch. Some kits are made for individuals, so each wedding party member gets his or her own personalized bag of essentials. Others are big group kits that anyone can dig into as needed.

They said it was fine for me to make one kit for the whole party, and that was a bit relieving. I didn't have to buy quite as much stuff!

As I put together the kit, I tried to think of things that would be helpful for this particular wedding (which is taking place in a barn in the summer), but I also tried to assemble things that could easily be used by someone later if not used at the wedding. (Again, it's my Type A kicking in, but I would venture to say most emergency kits are barely used. I think most party members bring with them whatever they might need.)

One other note. I also shopped my house before I shopped at the store. I knew we had some items (like cotton balls) that I could just put in a little baggie and not have to spend money to buy a tiny bag of them for the kit. I also knew we had some other items (like floss) that we have in spare sample sizes that I could toss in.

After shopping the house, I moved to the store, and ended up with the following for my kit. (Items needed could vary depending on season and location of wedding.)

Wedding Emergency Kit:

* Q-Tips
* Cotton Balls
* Pen and Paper
* Kleenex
* Hand Sanitizer
* Lotion
* Safety Pins
* Mouthwash
* Floss
* Toothpaste
* Toothbrushes
* Lint Rollers
* Antibacterial Wet Wipes
* Hairspray
* Lip Balm
* Allergy/Sinus Headache Medicine (outdoor wedding, you know)
* Asprin
* Sunscreen
* Deodorant
* Supplement Drops (Halls Defense - if someone feels a cold or something coming on)
* Shoe Polish (for the guys - cowboy boot wedding)
* Manicure Set (nail file, scissors, tweezers, clippers)
* Tampons/Pads/Liners
* Bobby Pins
* Little Sewing Kit (needle, thread, scissors, etc.)
* Band-Aids
* Bug Spray
* Static Guard
* Tide-to-Go Pen
* Cough Drops
* Granola Bars
* Bottled Water

Hopefully if they need something not covered there, someone in the general vicinity will just have it! 

Baked Asparagus

Do you like asparagus?

I never liked it until I started working at WBCL and Lynne made it for me when she invited me over for dinner one night. I ate it to be polite and found out I actually liked it! (At least I liked it the way she fixed it.) And for all these years, I've fixed it that way too. I even taught you to fix it that way. I still like it, and that recipe will remain a fixture in our menu plan!

But.

Remember last month when I did the failed 3 day detox? It wasn't a complete fail, because it yielded a new (to me) recipe that I have made again and again since that day. I think it's so tasty, and Ryan likes it, too. I did a tiny bit of tweaking to make it more flavorful, since I don't live my life in detox.

I thought I'd pass it along to you in case you need a new way to fix asparagus, too! It is, after all, summer, when veggies are in season and a little easier to find and cheaper to buy.

Baked Asparagus
* 15 (or so) stalks of asparagus
* 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
* 2 teaspoons slivered almonds

Spray baking sheet with olive oil and arrange stalks of asparagus in a single layer. Drizzle or spray remaining oil on top of asparagus and sprinkle salt and almonds over the top of the asparagus. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minute. Serve warm.

A Few Tips:

* This recipe serves two people, so if you're cooking for more, double (triple, whatever) the ingredients and get a bigger baking sheet!

* We use a very ancient version of this kitchen spritzer bottle to spray olive oil. We refill it ourselves, and it's a good kitchen tool to have! If you don't have a bottle like this, you could easily drizzle the oil instead.

* Be sure to rinse the asparagus and break the ends off before baking it.

* One of my favorite things about this cooking method is how crispy the tips get. I love it! The stalks are nice and tender, and the tips are almost like chips! Crunch!

* It can be reheated, but it isn't as good as the original baking. It gets kind of stringy and soggy the longer it sits. I bake it one serving at a time for the two of us.

* The almonds have really good flavor after they bake! Nice added crunch. 

* Goes well with any meal!  ENJOY!

Garage Sales (One)

Years ago, long before I was married, I used to enjoy a good garage-sale-filled Saturday. I had a few girlfriends who enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, and we would go out now and then in search of treasures.

But then, you know, we got married, and that was the last either of us saw of any kind of free time. And now it's almost five years later!

You might remember that a couple of years ago, we hosted a garage sale, and it was a huge success! (Those adventures told here, here, and here.) But this year, I decided I would put aside some time occasionally - not every weekend - to visit a few sales and see what treasures I could find!

This past Friday was the first chance I had to go in search of sales, and I was kind of sad, because I had my heart set on the Swayzee rummages (a small town about a half hour from us, if you're not from around here) but I was so busy on Friday I did not have time to be on the road for an hour AND shop. One or the other, but not both. So I stayed local.

I thought the whole day might be a bust, but I finally found a street with a string of sales all right in a row. I parked the car at a far end where it looked like it would be safe from dings and nicks, and set out in search of treasures!

I thought I'd show you what I got and why I love them! (PSA: not my best photography. But you'll get the point!)

The first house I went to could have cost me a lot more money, honestly. The lady had a bunch of clothes for sale that were all about my size, and most of them looked brand new. Nothing smelled funny, the garage was clean, and I felt perfectly safe shopping her clothes. (I'm very picky about buying clothes at rummages because I don't want to bring home anything that's smoky or potentially harmful in any way.)

But I reminded myself of my capsule rules and just came home with two workout shirts - a tank and a short-sleeved wicking shirt, and each cost fifty cents.

This lady also had a tween girl who was getting rid of some toys she'd outgrown, and I found a plastic bag full of wooden magnetic "paper dolls." I say it in quotes because there's actually no paper involved, but that's the concept. Cute, unique, QUIET, creative, and therefore a candidate for my when-the-kids-visit toybox. That was a dollar.

Two bucks down, I left the sale and went across the street. I couldn't stay long because that house was pretty saturated with smoke and I started to get a headache! But I did notice as I zoomed through the garage, the thing that became my find of the day. And you can know I bought it and just let it air out in the garage, because no way was I passing this up!

I didn't even know this existed!

A Gaither music board game! It's actually a trivia game (and not an easy one at that) about the early Gaither Homecoming videos. The game was made in 1995, so it only covers the oldest videos. But oh my word. I had to. I just had to! Two bucks? You better believe it! Do I need it? Nope. But it was a fun buy.

And that took me to the last house I visited. It was a big sale and all the proceeds were going toward a youth mission trip. My finds at this stop? All kiddo books for my when-the-kids-come-to-visit pile. Two Richard Scarry books for fifty cents each. (I'd forgotten all about Richard Scarry, but I loved those books when I was a kid!)

The Little Golden Book Heidi, which I actually used to own, but I got rid of ALL my books from my childhood in an act of stupidity a few years ago. (This one was only 10 cents!)

A Curious George book - ORIGINAL George, not today's redone George - for 50 cents.

And a mass market copy of Old Yeller for a quarter. Another throwback to my own childhood.

My bill there came to just under two bucks, so I put the rest in their fund and drove back home.

Six bucks for six children's books, two games, and two shirts. I was pleased with the spoils of my first day back into the world of yard sales!

Any good sale finds for you this year?

The Date Inspired by the Letter J

First up...it's podcast Tuesday! I think the title says it all this week.

Listen here - and enjoy!

I told you yesterday that we celebrated monthiversary 54 last Friday, and before I knew that Ryan wanted to go to the Strawberry Festival, I'd already planned for us to do our next alphabetical date that evening. I saw no reason why we couldn't do both dates in one night, so that's exactly what we did!

The theme for this one? Java, Jammies, and Jenga!

We started with a stop by Starbucks for some java. 

Then we went home to change into jammies and play Jenga. 

For those of you who don't know, our Jenga game doubles as our guest book, so whenever we play, we also get to see the names of the people who have come to see us since we moved into our new home! 

 Let the record show that the last time I played this, I failed miserably, so I figured this would be a pretty easy win for Ryan. I still lost, but at least I lost a little better!

 She made a hasty exit when the first one toppled.

Concentration....

 Yeah, I know. You're not supposed to use two hands. I'm still claiming rookie status.

 Whoopsie!

I highly recommend this date if you need something fun and different to do at home. It didn't cost anything except the coffee (which we actually got with a gift card) and was fun!

(Here's the link to all our alphabetical dates so far!)

54th Monthiversary

Know what's crazy? Knowing that in six months, we'll be hitting the five year mark. What in the world!?!?!

BUT that's still six months away, so for now we celebrate this milestone of 54 months!

It just so happened that the monthiversary fell on a Friday night, which is a perfect thing for date night, right? It also happened to be the night of the Strawberry Festival here in town, so we went there for our date!

We had dinner the same place we did last year at the Festival: the Hawg Heaven truck. (Hawg Heaven is also a restaurant in town we like.)

 It was one of the first legitimately hot days we've had this summer, so it was perfect for a festival!

We walked around for a while, checked out the vendor booths, and then made our way to the strawberry shortcake line. We probably should have shared one, but we each got our own. (Hey, I didn't eat my sammich bun, so I get a few points!)

It was really lovely! We sat on the courthouse lawn, listened to the live music, and talked about the cool old buildings on the square.

A few more walks around the block finished off our night at the festival, and then we went grocery shopping. We decided to stroll through ALL of Sam's Club this week and we sat on all the couches. (I didn't even remember they sold couches!)

So that was our monthiversary. Happy 54 months, Baby! So glad I convinced our fine city to throw us a festival! :) I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!