Anonymous Gift-giver

When I got home from work one day last week there was an Amazon package on my front stoop.

Inside this package was a wonderful gift, a package of things I would have ordered myself...except that I didn't.

I didn't order it, Kevin didn't order it, mom didnt' order it...and there was no name on the package receipt. It had my name on the package, so I know it was meant for me, but I just don't know who to thank for it!

So to this anonymous gift-giver...


Thank you so much!

We have used and enjoyed it already...and are looking forward to all the memories we will continue to make using it!

My Wonderful Valentine

My wonderful hubby of over seven and a half years!


Kevin and I with our adorable nephews!


My sweet valentine even danced with me at the wedding reception on Saturday. It must be a Valentine's weekend miracle!!


Click here to read my sister's blog and see more pictures from the weekend wedding.

Here is what my sweet Valentine did for me the weekend before.

He put new flooring in our master bath. Now I just need to find some time to caulk and paint the new baseboards and quarteround.

Sister's Night Out Fun!

Tuesday evening I met two of my beautiful sisters for movie! (They graciously drove over to my side of town to meet me for a movie that was in limited release, and happened to be fairly close to me!)

We did a bit of shopping, (But I didn't spend a dime, even though I found an adorable jacket for ten dollars at TJ MAX-I am trying to get better about spending money unnecessarily...I just LOVE finding a good deal!) then headed over to the theater where the movie was showing.

We went to see From Prada to Nada. It is a modern take on Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. There were a TON of changes, but I think it made a nice updated version of the story. It wasn't Austen, and the acting wasn't great, but it was a cute story and it was perfect for a girls night out! (Especially since we found out Tuesday is $5 movie day at the theater we went to! Yeah Baby!!!)

Some of the changes in this movie included the fact that there was no Mrs. Dashwood or Margaret, Nora (Elinor) was very opinionated and didn't mind sharing her ideas with whoever she was around, and Mary (Marianne) was just a spoiled little rich girl with no idea of reality. There was a long lost half brother Gabriel (John Dashwood) they never knew about until at their father's funeral (who turns out he is actually a good guy, just married the wrong girl in Olivia.) We have an Edward Ferris (Edward Ferrars) brother to Olivia-their long lost brother's wife who NO ONE likes! He is a lawyer and although looks too young, apparently is pretty far up on the food chain at his job. (Where Nora gets a job to help make ends meet after their father's death.) An Aunt Aurelia, sister to their long deceased mother (kinda takes the roles of Sir John Middleton and Mrs. Jennings) who provides the girls a home when they move out of their home that Olivia has taken over since their father was actually bankrupt at his death and they couldn't afford to keep anything. Bruno (Colonel Brandon) their Aunt's neighbor (played by Wilmer Valderrama-Fez from That 70's Show!) Willoughby's character was there in the form of a teacher's assistant in one of Mary's classes who gets Mary excited about learning-because she is infatuated with him! I can't remember his character name in the movie, he was a rich foreign "hot" guy and smooth talker (turns out married man!) so was a good representation of a modern Willoughby. (Although in my opinion, Wilmer Valderrama is way hotter than this guy was!)

To make it modern, things are done a bit differently, but you still get the basic storyline from Sense and Sensibility and so I was pleased. I would say it is worth a rent for a girls night, especially if you go in not expecting too much from the acting, but a nice little happy ending story. I was glad it was only $5, but I wouldn't have been upset having paid full price for it, because it was a fun night with my sisters!

We went out for dessert after the movie at a little place called Stella's in the same center as the movie theater. We had a good time, and enjoyed our girl time...we missed Kels though, wish you could have been there!!

Austen News

Although my life as been a whirlwind of work, travel, sewing, emotional roller coaster, wedding planning fun, sickness and general busy-ness I have been able to make some time for Austen lately, and have loved it!

If you remember I signed up for two reading challenges for 2011. One of them was all about Sense and Sensibility since it is the 200th anniversary of this book this year. I was able to finish my first book in that challenge last night. I read "Colonel Brandon's Diary" by Amanda Grange.

I really enjoyed it. I have been wanting to read this book for awhile, so when this challenge came up I knew it was the perfect chance to actually get around to reading it! I have Ms. Grange's other "diary" novels still on my to read list and after reading this one I am excited to read the rest! (Edmund Bertram, Mr. Knightley, Captain Wentworth, & Mr. Darcy) I think she did a great job sticking to the original story but seeing it with new eyes from the Colonel's perspective. I loved hearing more about Eliza and was very pleased with how it all turned out. I would recommend this one for sure! It was an easy read since it was written in a journal style, so that I could easily pick it up and put it down as I was able.

In other news, I am hoping to catch "From Prada to Nada" tonight with my sisters! So excited about that. It is also part of my S&S challenge!


Also, keeping with the Austen theme, here is another book I am excited to read. Jane Goes Batty by Michael Thomas Ford.

I read the first one, Jane Bites Back, last year and LOVED it!!! So I will HAVE to get this one soon!

One more Austen note...this one VERY exciting! I won a book!! I had signed up to try to win a copy of The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy by Mary Lydon Simonsen over at Austenesque Reviews and I won!!!

How exciting it is to be a winner! Don't worry Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Borders still get plenty of my hard earned money...but I am trying to get into the idea of using the library again. I need to learn how to budget better...but more on that later!

When a cold has taken over...

Life has been a bit of a whirl-wind lately. Traveling, sewing, taking classes, working on expanding my wedding coordinating business. Life is extremely busy, but good.

Or at least it was until I couldn't really function anymore.

(image found on Google-can't remember where)

Colds have a way of taking over.

(image found on Google-greatlibraries.org)

I am functioning again, not quite at full capacity, but getting there. I have now passed my lovely cold along to my hubby and one of my sisters. (I am truly sorry, I know how miserable it is!!)

(image found on Google-weepingcherries.wordpress.com)

Of course, now that I am functioning again, it is rainy and just plain yucky out and I have about a million things to catch up on.

(Image found on Google-youngdoo.net)

Hopefully you are having a wonderful, cold-free week!

A sew night with my sisters

One of my sisters and her husband are going on a mission trip with their church. To raise money they were doing a silent auction. I thought some homemade items could make some good money in an auction, so I made a baby quilt, and mom and I bought some fabric and Betsy, mom, Kels and I put together some scarfs (similar to the ones I had made for them for Christmas) and donated them all to the sale. I will have to ask Kelsey how much they ended up bringing in!

Here are some pictures from our evening together!

An Austen Giveaway

Believe it or not I actually do read books other than those by Jane Austen or some Austen continuation/variation. In fact I finished this one last week. Kevin and I have read the whole series (I am a few books behind right now) and have enjoyed it. (I know it is a children book series, book they are good, clean, entertaining and a fast read so I love them!)

But back to the reason why I am posting something right now. There is a giveaway going on over at Laura's Reviews. There is an interview with the author of the book "The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy" and you can read Laura's book review here. I think it looks like a great read and you can get the chance at winning a copy yourself if you go check out the interview and leave a comment.



Go check it out and good luck! (If you win, you can always pass the book along to me after you finish reading it!)

In other news...I have a million things to do in the sewing room, a good amount of which needs done BEFORE tomorrow, so I will have to stop putting it off and actually get some sewing done tonight. I don't know why I do this...I really do love sewing, but I always put it off until the last second!! Maybe some sick part of me likes being stressed to the max!?!