love.

I think I...
earnestly
joyfully
happily
freely
truly

love this little Etsy Shop and particularly this print (it's only $8 M!!) ,these mailing labels and these airmail bags.
Which were found over on Oh, hello friend.
& there's a giveaway too - I think you should check it out, but let me win of course ;)

too long!!

some of our silly and fun friends in the makeshift photo booth at our engagement party :)

it has been almost a whole month since I last posted - I am turning out to be a horrible blogger and commenter! & it's not been for lack of anything to say either - probably rather too much going on!

This month I/we have:

* Had a fun engagement photo shoot with a friend
* Hosted the funnest and loveliest engagement party
* Finished a super large assessment and enjoyed doing nothing all holidays
* caught up with lots of friends old and new
* Done coffee
* and board game nights with friends (we are that cool!)
* enjoyed some sewing
* made a handbag for Aunty Mandy
* and a twister quilt!
* iced over 200 cupcakes
* made home-made lemonade
* played with our engagement presents
* stacked, packed and stored away said presents *sniff*
* asked some sweet ladies to be my bridesmaids, which resulted in lots of screaming and hugging
* Booked a ceremony venue - it involves golf buggies and lawn games ;)
* Dressed up in some wedding dresses for a photoshoot for a friend's uni assessment
* spent some sweet stolen moments up in the little flat which will be our first home and dreamed and played
* BOOKED A TICKET TO THE US!!! for a certain blog meet up where I get to stay with this lady and then this one and this one and meet her and her and her and her and her and a few others!!
* enjoyed being us as we are right now silly, young, in love and dreaming up the future!

Stay tuned I have more posts coming when I sort out all these photos :)

Date One

eskimo kisses
summer school holidays 2005-2006
aaawww

We have some of the sweetest friends and family who it seems are so exited for our engagement.
It's been fun receiving all the little cards in the post and little gifts too!

I love this book my cousin Larissa and her family gave us. 'It's called 10 great dates before you say I do'. The idea behind the book is that you make time to set aside ten creative dates during the crazy wedding planning season which are distraction free to reconnect, to discuss certain topics together and to reaffirm your decision to marry. The book covers areas such as adjusting your expectations, Sharing your hopes and dreams, Appreciating your differences and developing spiritual intimacy with fun little exercises along the way. And so far I would recommend it.

So Friday night we decided it was time for date #1.
We dressed up nicely, making extra effort for the other (and I love how we both picked the same blue colour and matched!) grabbed some thai takeaway and took a table cloth, candles in jam jars and our food down to 'our spot' on the waterfront.
and got completely blown away by the wind - while wondering where the beautiful sunny day had gone!!
From there we went driving to another waterfront and sat in the car reading our book and chatting together and then off to McCafe for hot chocolate, banana bread and a chai latte (After finding out our favourite little cafe was already closed... the one with the cute couches).
So the date didn't go exactly according to plan but we both had so much fun being distraction free, focusing on one another, remembering past moments in our relationship, discussing our goals and future plans (my favourite), our expectations and laughing it up.
I can't wait for date # 2!! - I have some fun creative date ideas.

I love that this present wasn't just to make our home pretty but to enrich our and invest in our relationship and is something I feel we really need right now. It's been hard while I am studying to spend quality time together and weekends are either full with wedding planning or fill up some other way so I love that this pushes us to make date nights more common and to connect again.
In a silly fun carefree way.
Something I hope we can continue once we are married.

kt hearts...

- brown paper packages tied up with string & gift carded with a doily!

How cute are these?
I think I need to work out a way to incorporate brown paper, string and doily's into our wedding decor because I just love how these little packages worked out...
Miss Jessica these are now on their way to your house! There is something new, something old, something crafty and something blue & I promise they just as lovely inside!
In fact I nearly kept them for myself... nearly!
But no more hints.. just pretty pictures ;)
***And can you believe I came across this menu idea tonight after I had written this post?
I love it & wonder how it would look with some cute vintage buttons somehow joining the middle together.
I feel some ideas coming together ;)

Party Planning

Posting because I just can't sleep... and yes it's more wedding musings ;)

Engagement party planning this time and of course knowing me I just CAN'T seem to keep it simple!

M dropped in after a band prac tonight and played around with the colour scheme with me in photoshop.
hopefully we are on the same wave length now ;)
meaning I took the PINK (which he wears all the time) out of the design ;)
I've been particularly inspired by this wedding stationary set.

So we are thinking...

* A garden party luncheon at his parents house.
* A m+k= <3 theme inspired by these free downloadable cupcake toppers.
* cupcakes & cute DIY cupcake toppers.
* home made lemonade (an absolute Morgan favourite).
* Cheese platters (an absolute Katie favourite).
* lawn games & quizzes.
* A cute sundress.
* DIY drink stirrers inspired by these.
* jam jars with flowers in them tied with orange ribbon.
* a string pegged full of photographs & well wishes.
* a yellow, orange and red theme. Hot Hot Hot!

Wow we must be REALLY craving summer huh! I usually get like this at the end of August...
I am a summer loving girl and it's a month that plays with my emotions so much. A snippet of summer here and then the next day cold again. ughk!
and Mr M adores the summer too. In fact he took himself off to the beach this afternoon after work where he got asked "how you doin?" and checked out by some girls.
Yes that's my boy!
He's spunky and he's totally taken ;)

a Venue!!!

So last Saturday my mum, Morgan and I took a drive up north to the Hunter Valley, which is home to many amazing wineries, beautiful country homes and holiday destinations.
To look at churches and reception venues.
And we have found one!
(A reception venue that is!)
A Venue we both fell in love with the moment we walked in.
A venue all three of us could just see holding our wedding - my mum even got a little teary!
A venue where we could see our guests mingling in the courtyard, and on the verandah, having drinks and canapes on the lawn, photos in amongst the vines and dining in the most amazing barrel room ever - oh my those lights, those walls, those barrels (which they fill with tea lights on the night).
A venue that fits well into the budget (It is the cheapest venue we have come across & I love how it is also our favourite - thank you lord!).
A venue where the staff is so friendly and accommodating and flexible and who has said as long as you are happy we are happy too!

The staff at Margan (yes almost spelt 'Morgan'!) and their wedding planner Randi (she is SO lovely) have been so accommodating and are willing to hold both dates we are after for a week until we have a definite date booked with the church (that is what we will be up to this Saturday) and all with no deposit!

the beautiful gates, there are lots like this around the property
and also...
a veggie garden which are used fresh for the restaurants seasonal menus.
free range chickens and the cutest little chicken shed for photos.
a courtyard with a fountain and pretty lights.
a lawn area which looks out onto the rows of vines and the large mountains in the background.
a beautiful bar area which we like is separate from the barrel room.
Another room perfect for mingling, putting a guest book and which has comfortable moveable couches and arm chairs for those tired dancing feet.
But each area which flows and is open to the other.
And the whole estate is ours and our guests from 5pm!

So by this Saturday we should know...
either the 13th or 20th of November 2010 we will be husband and wife..
As you can imagine...
We can hardly wait!

the winner...

So I do believe that i promised to draw the giveaway today...
I had planned to do a cute video, involving balloons and M and I running through them and balloons with names in them being popped and some fun music (I even brought those balloons!)
something creative...
but alas a full Saturday of driving around wine country looking at wedding venues and a Sunday of bike riding and sunshine dragged me away from said plans.
So I simply drew a name from a pretty little vase instead, but there is still a winner indeed :)

So here are the lovely ladies who have entered. They are all so sweet and have some amazingly creative ideas so stop on by and say hello for yourself...

Jess from Living the Swell Life showcases her swell wedding here.
Leslie from My Happily Ever After remembers her amazing 'i do's' here.
Kim from Adventures of a Supermom lets us have a sneak at her special day here.
Skippy Mom has a lovely sweet idea for wedding favours here.
My real life friend Niki from Friday Enough actually made her own wedding dress! & shows her wedding off here.
ArtseyAnne from Creative Caring's mother remade her debut dress into her wedding dress.
newlywed Kate (as in a few weeks!) from KtDid has some beautiful creative images of her wedding here.
Katie from My Paisley Apron blogs about her fall wedding here.
Courtney from A Cottage Family gave some great advice as she remembered her own winter wedding here.
Unfortunately Chelle from the Value of Cheerfulness' wedding photos are all packed up in between house moves but she has a spot full of all kind of wedding ideas and inspiration images here.

And the winner is Miss ...

Jess if you could email me your address to ktbearxox@hotmail.com I will send something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue off in the post for you soon :)

And thank you everyone who entered you definitely had some fun and amazing ideas to share and some beautiful weddings.
It was such fun to read about all the stories and details of your wedding days.
All these ideas have definitely inspired us in our wedding planning to make something truly unique and creative and we very much enjoyed the fun ideas and advice!

Thanks again girls! :D

Giving it away!

Just a little reminder to anyone who was wanting to enter the 'Something old, something new, something crafty, something blue' giveaway but has not yet posted or commented. Giveaway ends today (Friday) at 12.00 am Sydney time :)
ok seriously why am I up at 12.05 am? Definitely not to write this post I assure you!
ok I'm off to bed now and hoping to wake up to some fun wedding posts?! :)

Giveaway!

Hi all...
just a little reminder that there is only a little bit over a week until the 'Something old, something new, something crafty, something blue' giveaway is closed.
Closing on Friday 21st August 12.00 (Eastern Australian time)
So if you haven't joined in yet & would like to please do.
pretty pretty please say you will!!

You can enter here.
& I will be uploading a list of all the ladies who have participated - there has already been some lovely ideas and memories shared :)

ps. you don't have to already be married to enter. Sharing an idea you have seen online, or from a wedding you have attended will grant you entry into the draw aswell!

Petals on the bed

I had a bad day today.
One of those days where everything goes wrong, you seem to get nothing accomplished and you just end up getting awfully frustrated, and believe me 21 year old meltdowns are not so pretty!
All I wanted to do was get home, climb into bed and have a good cry.
So can you imagine the way my heart just melted when I got home, noticed the glow of my lamp under my door and walked into my bedroom as saw this little sweetness left on my bedside table by Mr M?
Flower petals on the bed.
A bunch of fresh flowers in a vase on my bedside.
& some lollies - 'push pops' (Which we were just talking the other day - how much I loved these when I was little).
In that moment all of the day just melted away and I was suddenly smiling & realizing how blessed I am to be living this life with him to make me smile.

once again can I just say that I am so lucky to get to marry this sweet boy :)