5.9.15

Let the wedding planning begin! I can't believe we already have a wedding date! Originally we wanted a Fall 2014 wedding, but much to our surprise, all the venues we were interested were booked out through next fall. A comfortable outdoor venue was important to us though, and one of my number one rules is "I don't want to sweat on my wedding" so we decided on Spring 2015 - cross your fingers for sunshine.

As we searched for a rustic but elegant venue, we narrowed our choice down to Benhams Grove and The Willow Tree Inn. Benhams is a beautiful venue and we were very impressed but with a wedding party of our size, our only option for the reception was a tent. While tents are fine, we wanted some rustic elements and the thought of decorating a blank canvas like a white tent made the dollar signs in my head spin.

The Willow Tree Inn offers a beautiful backdrop, a rustic barn, and comfortable amenities. Bingo.

I fell in love with the Willow Tree when I sang there for a wedding in the 7th grade. I told myself ever since then that I wanted to get married there. *It captivated me* After meeting the new owners, I was pleased to learn that they married at the Willow Tree in 2000 and also fell in love, so much so that they bought the place about 2 years ago and have been renovating it ever since.

A beautiful old Victorian Home

Beautiful scenery

The Barn - Love love love

Now that we have the date and the venue, the rest of the fun begins! Adam just wants to know when we can go taste testing :)

xoxox - the future Mrs. Blimbaum

Cheetah girls cheetah sistassss

Look what I did! I painted cheetah/ leopard whatever nails!

It was actually really simple. I painted the base a periwinkle and then dotted white spots followed by thin black outlines with a Sally Hansen paint pen.

Easy peasy! If you want, I can make a tutorial next time.

Nail obsessed,

Jes

oh, how PINTERESTing: 3

Linking up with Michelle from The Vintage Apple to share with you my new obsession...

Tribal and flower print nails!!

If having beautiful long nails so that I can cover them with art isn't enough to stop biting my nails then I have lost all hope.

Some inspiration....

What nail trend are you obsessed with right now?

Next stop, CVS for some nail art pens ;)

Jes

P.S. Follow me on Pinterest to see these pins and more :)

these are a few of my favorite things

I was trying to think of a creative way to share my favorite things of the moment with you when something magical happened...

...I was flipping through the channels and I came across the Sound of Music just in time for "My favorite things" :)

These are a few of my favorite things this Thursday:

1... Love these high heel wedges from Forever 21 (and at a price you can't beat!)

2... Fab.com - slightly dangerous, but incredibly amazing. This site has discounted jewelry, clothes, gadgets, home decor, you name it. I purchased most of my Christmas gifts from this site.

3... I had the 2011 version of this Paper Source calendar and I can't stand to throw it away. I need to think of something creative to do with all of those beautiful pages. I just ordered the 2012 calendar today :)

4... Mint.com you devil you. Keeping me and my finances in line... To stay on top of my New Years "resolution" I use Mint.com to see where I am spending my money and where I need to cut. This site is invaluable!

5... Moroccan Argan Oil is heavenly. I was hesitant at first because I thought it would make my hair oily but my hair stays perfectly shiny and healthy all day long! And all you need is a pea sized dose to get you through the day :)

What are a few of your favorite things?!

xoxox,

Jes

oh, how PINTERESTing!

Today, I am linking up with Michelle at the Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesdays.

 Lately I have been obsessed with ombre hair and I am saving up for the right hairdresser (come out, come out, wherever you are)! 

What do you think?!....

Or if I dare..... 

I found a bunch of other awesome ombre stuff while I was searching too!

Do you LOVE the ombre look as much as I do? What hair trend are you obsessed with right now?!

xoxox,

Jes

P.S. Follow my boards on Pinterest to see what else I find Pinteresting ;)

DIY: Hair Bow

My lack of skills are laughable.

I was going to wait to post this awesome hair bow post until I perfected it, but with my lack of hair skills that could be at least another year and it's too cute to NOT share!

What it is supposed to look like....This girl is a pro!

Check out the instructions and other hair ideas at one of my favorite blogs: A Beautiful Mess.

I admit I need some practice, but it kind of looks like a bow, right?!....

xoxox,

Jes

Cabin Getaway

The holidays are over and life has resumed as it was. My friends are in different cities and my boyfriend and I are back to splitting our time between Dayton and Cincinnati (this is way better than Cincinnati and DC for the record. I just really miss him during the week). I know everyone had a case of the "bahumbugs" today with the first day back at work. My older sister also had to go back to work today after maternity leave and take my 9 week old niece Gwenyth to daycare for the first time. So, she had a tougher day than the rest of us. Luckily she is the strongest person I know, and I know she will be able to pick things back up at work while continuing to be the best mom in the world. She'll find her balance. She always does.

Today, I daydreamed about the perfect vacation - a cabin getaway in West Virginia. We stayed at Mill Creek Cabins and I definitely recommend them! The cabin was clean and was stocked with fire wood, a full kitchen, and plenty of towels for the hot tub outside. We didn't even have to check in. The keys were waiting on Cabin #5's table and we left them where we found them as we quietly left the next morning. The drive through WV was just as gorgeous as the cabin with plenty of lookouts and roadside waterfalls.

It was truly paradise...

As we were leaving the cabin, we encountered our little friend who was the sweetest dog in the world but happened to be covered in poo. Someone had a little too much fun in the wilderness. Well the sneaky snake kept creeping into our pictures and I love poo dog for it.

This makes me crack up every time. Poo Dog!

Thank you Adam for the perfect getaway that I will never forget.

xoxox,

Jes

DIY: Newspaper Nails

My friend Devan came over the other night, (okay, I made this post a few weeks ago and forgot to publish it! I've been busy with work and my beautiful baby niece) and I fell in love with her nails!

Awesome, huh.

She painted her nails a pastel blue, dipped them in vodka and then layered on the newspaper. I had to know the details, so I searched Pinterest to find the step by step instructions:

Check out the Newspaper how to, HERE! I'm going to give it a try this weekend! Guess I better get to the liquor store ;)

xoxox, Jes

Gwenyth

She has arrived!!!!

Gwenyth Nicole

Born October 26, 2011

6 lbs 11.5 oz

She could not be more perfect. Seriously. I can't explain her perfection. Every baby wrinkle and tiny hair is perfect. She's like sunshine... everything is better when she is there.

Today, was only her 4th day of life, and I don't want to miss a second.

Aunt Jes :)

So in love, xoxox

The Perfect Nursery

The baby could come any day now and I cannot wait to meet my little Niece or Nephew. Without a doubt, the holidays this year will be the warmest with the new baby to brighten things up.

I wanted to share the beautiful nursery that my sister and brother-in-law put together. My sister said, "There is so much love in the room with handmade art and furniture created special for Baby McFall." 

The color scheme is yellows, grey and white, and this isn't just because the sex of the baby is unknown, but also because my sister said that she has never been the girl-pink, boy-blue type. There is also a steady owl theme through out the room.

The Beautiful Nursery

Patrick's old baby mobile, and of course this crib can convert into a little bed set for when the baby outgrows it. Pat is always thinking ahead.

Hand painted and decorated furniture, and homemade curtains by Patrick's mom and a handmade owl picture by the little sister Kelsey.

My favorite part of the room is the yellow stripped ceiling!!!

Homemade baby keep sake box made by my mom, and an amazing owl nightlight.

Owl shelves made by my mom and Patrick's old toys :)

Keep sake shelves with old toys and an owl piece I made

I used colored felt and embroidery floss to stitch together a cute owl on a fabric background.  To twist things up a bit, I used a wood embroidery hoop and a coat of white paint to frame it!

Isn't everything gorgeous??! I am slightly jealous of the baby's room because it's so awesome.

Hurry up Baby McFall!! We're ready for you :)

Oh Snap: 2

My life in photos has been pretty tasty lately...

xoxox Jes