There Were Bells

Well, howdy, y'all! Things have been crazy around here... and gosh, do I have news for you!

I will be needing to print some wedding invites of my own now. :)

That's right, I'm engaged!!! I can still barely believe it, and it's been two weeks! I'm so excited. The funny thing is, what very little wedding planning I have done has been a pain. It's so hard to find somewhere in Orlando that is cheap but pretty to have a wedding or a reception at. I've been slaving over this for hours and hours each day to so little avail. Is it weird that I already kind of wish I was just getting eloped? Haha!

Nah, it will be so much fun once I can get to the thing that I like best: making things that are pretty! I'm much more excited about finding things in the colors Darin and I like, figuring out how to make the whole thing schmancy without spending too much money. (We are two poor college students, after all. Although he just got an awesome full-time job, so he'll be super busy but saving up the dough!)

I just wanted to give you guys a taste of what is to come...

This is rather tentative, I really wanted a lighter peach in there somewhere. And I think it's my computer screen, but that middle yellow keeps looking green when I take a minute away from it. Maybe a 6 color palette isn't too psycho. Well, either way, this is what we're working with for a bright, relaxed July wedding! It's one of the easier things for me to decide on right now. I might go insane with all the other things, haha.

No matter what, though, it's just one day of your life. The days that follow it are SO much more significant and define us, and I'm thrilled to be spending them with a God-desiring man who also cracks me up every day and does what he thinks is right. Love at first sight if I ever saw it!

Anyways, I'll keep doing stuff when I get the chance, but I hope you had a great holiday and are finding refreshment and hope in the Lord!

- Lara

Rock That Chevron

Hot pink. It's a zesty, fun, unabashedly girly color. I used to hate pink pretty passionately but am now a completely different woman. It's very hard to explain. But today, I can appreciate a healthy dose of pink every now and then!

And TRY and tell me chevron isn't the best pattern ever these days! I was actually inspired by a super cute shirt at Old Navy I saw today when I was out Christmas shopping with my mom. It's on sale, by the way, so if you're into this kind of thing, you will only be about $7 poorer. Just sayin'.

In fact, it even looks cute in yellow...

Any who, hope you're getting everything done that you need to this Christmas season and are able to enjoy its true meaning at the same time! Maybe print out some thank you cards for your sweet friends and family for just being who they are. :)

- Lara

Experiment #1: Save the Date

So, as I have already mentioned, I am not a professional graphic designer. I haven't taken one class at my university (since they are only offered at the other campus), except for a little "don't you wish you could afford this!" session Adobe put on for their Creative Suite 5.5. My disclaimer is that I will not pretend to be super good at any of it. I just think it's fun and sometimes I feel like what I make turns out okay. :)

I am turning into such a girly-girl these days. Growing up, I avoided pink as much as possible. I was very selective about frills and bows that appeared on my person at any given time. As a teen, I prided myself a lot more on my excellence in school than I did in doing my makeup or flirting with boys, although on the inside, I secretly wanted to be into those kinds of things but was just too concerned with being taken seriously. But when I started to follow Christ (read about it here!), I was a lot more comfortable in my own skin and began to let the real me come out and play. I felt the freedom to bake cupcakes and wear glittery eyeshadow! Because it didn't matter to me as much anymore that people look at me and be impressed by how smart or talented I was, I sure had a lot more fun being the girl that God made me to be!

All of that is to say that now, out of seemingly nowhere, I am really having more fun with wedding stuff. Part of it probably has to do with the fact that I am finally in a serious relationship with the most AWESOME man in the history of the world, Darin, who I could talk about for hours if I wasn't overly conscious of sounding like that girl. (You know what kind of girl I am talking about.) Now, wedding things just don't seem that unrealistic and far-off anymore, and there is so much fun to be had when a couple has a chance to let their personalities show off!

This is my very first try at a fancy "save the date" card. And by fancy, I mean not-too-fancy; it has a pretty modern feel and nice summer colors. It's more along the lines of what I would pick if I were planning a wedding... which isn't looking too far off, so I'm not a psycho yet, right? ;)

I just adore lemony yellow! It's a happy, laid-back color that says, "You can relax and have a good time at this wedding. Bridesmaids, your dresses will not be expensive. Enjoy your mojitos during the reception." Not that there's anything wrong with super classy, fancy weddings, but for some people, they like the simplicity of keeping it in a "yellow" state of mind.

Anyways, friends, have a fresh and fun day, and be true to yourself!

- Lara