Prince Charming

One of the things I love about the chalkboard trend is the creative beauty in hand lettering. I am not especially talented at hand lettering, so I am very thankful to have some beautiful chalk design work already done for me. White embossing powder shows up beautifully against the blackboard background, for an added "chalky" look. 

I thought this trend would be fun to show off these silly photos we took of my husband and I at this year's Tulip Festival. I added lots of hearts and arrows pointing to my Prince Charming, just to be sure he wouldn't be missed!

"Kissing Frogs" Supplies:
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" papers: Stripe, Bits & Pieces
Glitz Designs "Color Me Happy" paper: Hearts
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" 8x8 paper pad
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" 6x6 paper pad
Glitz Designs "Color Me Happy" 6x6 paper pad
Glitz Designs "Color Me Happy" Cardstock Journaling stickers
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" washi tape - anchors
Glitz Designs "Hello Friend" washi tape - coral polka
Glitz Designs "Uncharted Waters" rubber stamps
Glitz Designs "Love You Madly" rubber stamps
other: white embossing powder (Stampin' Up), wood arrow (Studio Calico), VersaMark ink, heat gun, card stock, sequins (Cartwright), typewriter

Blessings & Treasures

My grandma and grandpa (my dad's parents) have been married for nearly 64 years. This past Sunday they renewed their vows and had their marriage blessed. It was a beautiful picture of love and faithfulness, sacrifice and honor. My grandparents have always been a shining example of all a person should be. Growing up my grandma would have me over for painting lessons, we would drink coffee sweetened with honey, and talk for hours on end. Now my girls take turns getting lessons from Great Grandma. This past year, when my parents were sick, they helped care for my dad spending long hours together in the hospital rooms visiting and laughing - seeing the good during times when it could have been terribly hard to see it. 

After the blessing, we had a little party where we looked through their wedding albums and my grandma's scrapbook with the cute little cards she received at her wedding and shower. They are one of my dearest treasures. 

"Here ends my previous existence. Take it: it led me to you."
-G.K. Chesterton, To Frances 

(a beautiful letter Chesterton wrote 
to his soon-to-be wife that can be found in full here)

i love you. always.

"Many a man has been lucky in marrying the woman he loves. 

But he is luckier in loving the woman he marries." 

-G.K. Chesterton

Heading very soon into deployment number eight, I am thankful again and always for my husband. For his sacrifices and service, for his courage and character, for his heart and his faith.
I love you.

Our 12th Anniversary
11.14.11

"But the traditions of humanity support humanity; and the central one is this tradition of Marriage. And the essential of it is that a free man and a free woman choose to found on earth the only voluntary state; the only state which creates and which loves its citizens. So long as these real responsible beings stand together, they can survive all the vast changes, deadlocks and disappointments wich make up mere political history." -G.K. Chesterton

happy valentine's day

gotta love any day that starts with a wooden card. stan made me this card. lol. he said, "hey, you're always making cards for me... i thought i'd make one for you." he burned the words in and everything. i got such a laugh out of it. now i've gotta find a way to hang it up in my scrap room!

i also got some flowers from my handsome handy husband. (he also got the girls heart boxes filled with candy and little cards to go with them.) i'm pretty sure he should win dad of the year!

and since stan was actually in this country and not working on valentine's day (and this is such a rare occurance), i had torrey take a couple of pics of us. he's one darn good looking guy!