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Showing posts with label newlyweds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newlyweds. Show all posts

Monday, August 5

a houston family photo

saturday night, we had one last get together before we started packing.
the last few years have brought us such sweet friends and fun memories,
and we wanted to have everyone over one last time.
of course we had to take a family photo.
#teammomforthewin

when i first came to houston, i remember wondering how i would ever have the type friendships i had in college.  the Lord provided friends so much sweeter than i could have ever imagined.
i'm so blessed to call these people forever friends.
and i can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for us in our new city. 

Friday, August 2

see ya later houston!

if you've followed this blog for any amount of time, you should know by now there is never a dull moment in the chastain household.  bub-hub, raider and i are leaving the beautiful city of Houston and making our new home in Grapevine. 

we are excited to be close to our family and sweet friends,
but we are sad to say "see ya later" to the fantastic life and memories we've made here.

here's to new adventures! 

Tuesday, July 16

puppy party in the pool

ever since raider joined our family, i've wondered if he could swim.
i grew up with a yellow lab that loved the water more than land and couldn't walk past a puddle without jumping in it.
raider could not be more opposite.

last weekend when we were visiting our family back home,
we threw raider in the pool to see how he would react.
pretty sure we scarred him for life.
after a bit of doggy paddling, raider swam back to us on the side of the pool and bub-hub put him on the floatie for safety.
raider loves to soak in the sunshine!
lesson learned from our weekend of fun:
all puppies can swim,
but that doesn't mean they enjoy it.


Saturday, July 6

training update: week 3!

this week, our training schedule was pretty similar to last week,
we just moved a few things around for the holiday.
the miles are getting easier!
i just can't wait for this heat and humidity to settle down so we can do more of our runs outside.
last weekend, bub-hub and i took a trip to luke's locker and invested in some new gear!
i ended up with a pair of ghosts by brooks.
so comfy.
i can definitely feel the difference already. 

one week closer! but we still have a long way to go.

Tuesday, July 2

beep beep!

i am excited to introduce my new toy!
last weekend, bub-hub and i traded in my SUV for a fiat! :)
it's tiny and cute and it makes me feel like i'm racing around in mario kart.
i absolutely loved my suv, but this car was just too fun to pass up.
new cars are so fun. i am one lucky girl!


and in case anyone was worried, raider loves his new ride. :)

am i the only one who picks out cars based solely on their appearance?


Sunday, June 30

training update: week 2

we have officially survived our second week:instead of a plain jane long run on saturday,
we participated in the electric run!

guys, houston is hot.
it was 9 at night, completely dark and 107degrees.
i was sweating buckets.
#notevenabitcute
but it was so fun! and all the hot, sweaty running was worth it because at the end, 
there fully air conditioned dance party!

how was your weekend?
any fun 5k races to recommend??



Sami's Shenanigans

Monday, June 24

wilderness weekend

hello monday, here so soon??
this was such a great weekend. 
so much fun, adventure, and relaxing.
and just like that, it's monday again.

friday afternoon, bub-hub and i played hooky and snuck away from responsibility to go see monsters u! we might have been the only ones in the theater over the age of 8 without kids. #noshame
too cute to handle. 

saturday morning, we headed out to woodlands lake for some kayaking.
bub-hub and i are adventurous and we love sunshine! but we not outdoors-men by any means.
this little 1 1/2 hour trip down the waterway was the perfect amount of exploration for us.
about 15 minutes in i was already looking forward to lunch and a margarita. 
#mexicanfoodmotivation

how was your weekend?
any fun adventures to share?

Thursday, June 20

forever honeymooners

bub-hub and i were fortunate enough to celebrate our anniversary in beautiful(ish) cancun!
i only say "ish" because our visit occured in the middle of tropical storm.
we didn't even bother to check the forecast before we left.
mexico always has perfect beach weather right??
so needless to say, we were surprised to be greeted with dark stormy rain clouds instead of clear blue skies.
despite the rain, we were so spoiled all week.
when we arrived at our room, we were welcomed with a fun anniversary banner on our door!
each evening, we came back from dinner to find our room was decorated with towel animals and rose petals and they even gave us a special "romantic" dinner. #awwwshucks

we spent our rainy days drinking lots of coca-cola light,
eating yummy yummy food,
playing mexican animal bingo,
trying new drinks at the martini bar,
getting fantastic massages,
and learning how to play chess.
#youknowyourejealous
 our last full day in mexico, we were blessed with blue skies and sunshine.
more sunshine than our sunscreen could block,
but we soaked up every minute we could!

i can't wait to go back again.
i loved getting to spend the week being lazy with my bub-hub.

 

Thursday, June 13

The Boat Song

you may or may not know, but the traditional first anniversary gift is paper.
bub-hub and i are not typically traditional gift givers,
but for our first wedding anniverary we both stuck with tradition.
i was formally invited, via movie tickets created by bub-hub, to watch our wedding slideshow and videos, with a yummy bottle of wine.
and i created this print for us to hang in our bedroom.
 
although it's not our official song,
it is the song that makes me tear up everytime i really listen to it.
#mushygushy
i dare you.
 
this print is now available in my etsy shop!
 
 

Thursday, May 23

some pictures, a park & a puppy


i love my family.
maybe i'm a little biased,
but i'm pretty sure i'm the luckiest girl on the planet.
raider was loving life that morning.
he was running around the park like a mad man and just having the time of his life. he'd come back and pose for a few photos, and then run back into the trees.
#naturedog #wildman
please tell me i'm not the only one who thinks having pets in your family photos is a fabulous idea.
these photos were snapped by the lovely sarah carpenter at sarah ashley events.
sarah and her hubby/assistant ben did a fantastic job.
i was blown away with the photos and can't stop scrolling through them.
i love the way they were able to capture our personalities.
bub-hub and i don't take ourselves too seriously, 
so it was great to have a photographer to laugh with us through our awkwardness.
it's amazing what a fabulous photographer can do with a camera.
fun fact:
these were taken at the same park we took our wedding party photos!
i know, we are the cheesiest of them all.

to see more photos, check out sarah's blog post on our shoot:
for real. she's the bomb[dot]com.

Friday, October 19

high five for five months!

so many people have told me that the first year of marriage is the hardest.
i definitely understand that.
it's a lot of adjustment and there is a lot of change to get used to.
bub-hub and i are almost half way through it,
and so far, we're dominating! :)

dear bub-hub,
you are the best. i'm your biggest fan.
thank you for making me feel so loved and so supported.
i know we have many years and life changes ahead of us,
but i can't wait to take them on together as the ultimate team,
because after all, 
we are the best and we never lose.
love,
your wifey


here's to a hundred more years of silly arguments, dirty kitchens, baskets of clean, wrinkled laundry, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, laughter, and high fives.


Photobucket

Photobucket

Thursday, October 11

wedding rap up

it's ok to completely humiliate yourself in front of a room of 150 people right??
 
this weekend was so fantastic and so exhausting.
i had such a blast celebrating the marriage of my sweet friend steph.
the whole day was absolutely beautiful.
and may or may not have humiliated myself during my MOH speech...

i know i brag about bub-hub a lot,
but he really is the best.
he helped me practice and listened to me mess up over and over and over again,
he stood in the back dancing and cheering me on,
and he gave me a half time pep-talk to get through the humiliation.
he is the bomb[dot]com.
 
at the end of the night, the bride and groom left the reception as husband and wife.
a perfect end to a perfect day.
 
 
don't forget to sign up for the sweets swap! :)
send me an email and get in on the sweet action!
gracefullymadeblog[at]gmail.com
 

Monday, October 8

a sweet start to the week

today, i have an exciting announcement!
my sweet friend amy over at taking steps home and i have decided to host a sweet treats swap!
why should kids have all the fun? amy and i decided that we wanted to have a little sweet treat action for ourselves, and we wanted to share the fun with our blog friends!
what is a sweet treat you might ask?
sweet treats can include anything you think is yummy! cookies, candy, sweet smelling goodies, or anything used to make a sweet treat!
here's what you need to do!
1. send the following information via email to gracefullymadeblog[at]gmail.com using the subject line "Sweet Treat Swap" :
name
blog name & address
email address
mailing address
favorite sweet treat
favorite thing about halloween
2. follow amy [taking steps home] and myself so you don't miss out on any updates or swap information.
3. when you receive your swap partner,  visit their blog and get to know them a little better! then, put your package together.  your swap package should cost between $10 and $15.
here is the schedule:
October 8 - swap sign up opens!
October 15 - swap partners will start being assigned
October 19 - the last day to sign up, so make sure you send in your email! 
October 25 - try to mail your package by today so it can make it to your partner in time for the link up.
October 31 - share what you got! link up with amy and me and check out what everyone received!

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i hope you'll sign up and participate with us!
it's gonna be super fun, so sign up so you can trick-or-treat with us grown up style! :)

Monday, October 1

cheers to a relaxing weekend.

bub-hub and i have been running around like crazy for the past few weeks, so it was nice to have a weekend of relaxation and laziness! :)

friday evening, bub-hub and i got to spend the evening with the cutest little 4-month old on the planet. babysitting with bub-hub is the best. he is the master of all things baby-boy.

saturday, college game day. 
duh.
we also ran a bunch of errands, which included buying our shoes for the shoedrive at church.
bub-hub and i had a 2 year old little girl.
my heart melted when i saw these teeny-tiny nikes.
they were smaller than my hand. too cute to pass up.

my sunday started with a lovely brunch with girlfriends at a lovely little place called Tiny Boxwoods, where i had the most giant latte that has ever existed. 
it was the size of my head. 
i also had yummy cinnamon roll and the sugar headache that followed was 100% worth every bite.

p.s.  kate spade definitely instagrammed a pic from Tiny's on thursday, so i feel like we basically hung out and are now best friends.  i like to pretend we sat in the same chair. 
#notcreepyintheleast
i told you it was giant.

i spent the afternoon relaxing, working on projects, and finishing my book!
 o, and having an anxiety attack watching the end of the ryder cup.
i don't watch golf, but for some reason, i was 100% into this tournament.
it must have been a side effect of too much sugar. 

overall a pretty recharging weekend if i do say so myself.

how was your weekend?
do you have any new books you can recommend?


Friday, September 28

high five! :)

after a super busy weekend last week, and hectic work weeks, bub-hub and i are looking forward to a relaxing and lazy weekend at home. maybe catch up on some honey boo boo, sleep by the pool, go to the grocery store, clean the kitchen, and do some crafts! :)

1.  bub-hub was given a set of tickets for the last astros home game of the season! even though it wasn't the rangers, it was great to spend a night with bub-hub doing one of his favorite things, watching baseball!
2.  i attended a work luncheon event this week, and the giveaway was a bag of mini oatmeal chip cookies! i may or may not have eaten the entire bag in one day. #notashamed
3. i love sleeping on freshly washed sheets. it is probably one of my favorite things in the world.
4. "quinoa get a what-what?" if you didn't chuckle at that, you cray. i know. i'm too cool for school.  it definitely made me crack a smile when i saw the subject line in my inbox.
5. i finally joined the bubble necklace club! hopefully not too late...o well! i purchase one in bright pink and one in white from caroline g, and i love them! :) 

p.s. please read this sweet post from my friend courtney and help support her and her fundraising efforts for the susan g. koman 3 day!

p.s.s. i'm participating in two giveaways right now, so sign up and maybe you'll win a pair of super cool mugs that i making just for you! :)
jen @ that's what she read
jen @ rushing for bagels

happy friday!

 

Thursday, September 27

organized clutter 101

i would probably describe my personal style as organized clutter.
i love walls and shelves full of picture frames and books and prints.
i even have boxes of frames and books sitting in my closet right now. oops. 
but as much as i love being surrounded by stuff, i definitely think there is a fine line between organized clutter and chaos. 
#basicallyhoarderstatus

i'm excited to tell you guys about a partnership that i'm doing with Apartment Guide. they contacted me and asked if i'd be willing to share some tips about apartment living and making the most of a small space on a budget.  so i thought i'd give you a few tips and tricks on how to display clutter in an organized fashion. whether you're living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide offers tips on how to decorate your apartment and make the most of your space on the Apartment Guide blog


[1] a sturdy shelf or two or three - i love the rubbermaid shelves they sell at home depot.  they are really simple to install and can hold up to 25 pounds. do you know how many picture frames that is?
[2] some stuff!  you can use books, picture frames, knick-knacks, candles, flower pots, anything you want!
[3] patience! sometimes, everything comes together perfectly the first time around. but most of the time, it takes a few rounds of rearranging before you find your fit. just take a deep breath and try again.


1. work in small sections at a time. 
i like to start with larger objects, like these coffee table books, first and add smaller pieces in around them.
i love using coffee table books, especially for their color.  when using heavy books, be extra careful and make sure you have something, like a book end, to support their weight keep them upright. i used a basic book end i found in the dollar section at target on one side and a woodcut on the other.  i like to use frames, or in this case, a container of pretty flowers, to hide the book end and add an extra something special. :)
it's a budget-friendly alternative to the pretty, but expensive, designer book ends.
2. don't be afraid to stack objects. 
i love the way picture frames and art prints look when they are clustered together.  you can lean things against each other or even stack items.
larger art prints, or photo canvases, can rest against the wall to create height, or, you can hang it on the wall just a few inches higher than the shelf, with a nail or hook, for a floating effect.
3. play around and create different looks.
move things around, take pieces out, add pieces in, swap things around.
when you finally have a shelf full of stuff, take a step back and stare at your creation.
it may take a few attempts and some rearranging before your feel that pitter-patter of happiness in your heart, but you'll get there.
here is another set of shelves to ponder over.
this set is a little simpler, but it still allows me to display all of my favorite photos! :)
yes i know, i'm a little obsessed with my bub-hub.
sorry i'm not sorry.
and of course, a girl's gotta display her cookbooks right?
4. have confidence in your creation.
tadaaaaaaa!
you're awesome, so therefore, everything you do it awesome.
duh.

the beauty of this decorating method is that there is no right or wrong.
nothing had to match,
nothing has to coordinate.
you can use what you already have floating around.

so there you have it, decorating with organized clutter 101.

if you’re ready for a whole new space or looking to move, apartment guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you find the perfect apartment community. “like” apartment guide on facebook, tweet at  them @AptGuide on twitter, “circle” them on google+ and follow them on Pinterest for real-time tips and updates on how to make the most of your small space.


Disclosure Statement:
Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partner with bloggers such as me to participate in blogger programs.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any products and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.
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