Who Doesn't Need Hot Booties

Have you seen this commercial?  Well, we have.  All the time!  I will be so glad when it goes off the air.  Today it came on the television as I was writing thank you notes for the wedding gifts.   I heard The Murph talking to the tv from the next room, mocking the commercial, saying something like, "Hot Bootie!  Hot BOOOOOTIEEE!"

I nearly fell off my chair laughing at him, which only further encouraged him.  He then started calling out to me, "Oh, you know you want some hot bootie!  You KNOW you do!  Hot Boooootieee!"

I tried to ignore him and kept on writing so he starts in on the bootie bag.

"Get your bootie bag.  Go put your booties in your bootie bag and put it in the microwave.  Gotta get your bag for your booties!"

Will it ever stop???

Don't you want some hot booties?  Click here to order your very own.  Plus, you get a bootie bag of your very own!

Hot Booties Here!!

Go ahead!  You KNOW you want a pair!  You know you do!

Moving Ahead To Halloween

Now that all the busy excitement from the wedding has passed, I am looking forward the next big event, HALLOWEEN!  I have always loved Halloween and worn a costume almost every year since I was old enough to trick or treat.  It was a very sad day when I was too old to go trick or treating, but it's great when your old enough to buy your own candy and you can get your favorites.

After the Boy came along, I would dress up with him and take him trick or treating.  He didn't care much for most of the candy, so I got a lot of leftovers.  Even though he is now away at college, I still feel the need to decorate.  I can't tell you how many times today the Murph said, "What's all the decorating for??  We don't have any kids here!"  (as he was helping me hang the lights)

The skeleton below is called "Mr. Bones".  He's been hanging around every Halloween since the Boy was a toddler.  His screws are more than a little rusty.

The black kitty below is a fairly recent purchases.

 As is this creepy sensor controlled witch.  She cackles when you get close and scares the you know what out of the poor cats.  The Murph doesn't like her too much either!

All I need is a couple of bags of my favorite candy to go in the trick or treat bowl.  We probably won't get too many trick or treaters around here.  Most of the kids have grown and gone away to college like the Boy and the Girl have.  Sad!!

I was thinking that The Murph and I should get some Halloween costumes this year and have a party.  The Murph says the wedding is enough for now!  I have to agree...

Oh well, there's always the "annual" Christmas party.   Can't wait!

Hang Loose! Photo Booth Wedding Guest Album

The Murph and I decided not to have a traditional wedding guest book for our guests to sign.  Instead we rented a photobooth from Cool Shots Photobooth complete with some really cool props.  Our guests could take as many pictures as they wanted and keep one copy and put one copy in our photo album guest book and sign.  We now have some really funny shots to remember our guests and our wedding.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Art Deco Flapper/Slave Bracelet designed by

Rose Of The Mire

It is traditional in a wedding for the bride to wear something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.  I'm not saying that I didn't think about what I could wear in each of those categories, but I will say it wasn't my top priority.  This wasn't my first wedding and since I did follow all the traditions in my first wedding and well, see where that got me, I was a little skeptical and not at all concerned that I was in my wedding gown about to leave the bridal suite for pictures and didn't have anything blue or borrowed.

My something new and something old was easy to find.  For one thing, my dresses were new as was my shoes, necklace and earring.  For the something old,  I found an Art Deco Flapper/Slave bracelet on Etsy designed by Rose Of The Mire.  It is made with antique crystals making it my "something old", but also my "something new" as well since parts of the bracelet are new intermixed with old.  I loved that!    I also loved that it was one of a kind and there are no others like it.  The minute I saw it I knew I had to have it.

We had a jazz band playing during the cocktail hour of the reception.  I wanted something jazzy to wear during the wedding, but didn't want to wear a flapper style headpiece in all the pictures.  The flapper bracelet was a perfect compromise.

My Matron of Honor, the former Running Nazi (that's another post!), was concerned that I had nothing borrowed or blue so she took the opal and diamond ring she was wearing off her finger and handed to me.  I knew it would be useless to argue with her that it wasn't necessary, but tradition is tradition and I have to admit I was more than a little relieved to have something blue and borrowed on me.  No need to tempt the fates!

The opal ring that her father had given her before he died was beautiful!  I slid it on the hand with the antique bracelet and I have to say, it was perfect.  I had something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue all on my right hand.  On my left was my engagement ring with one of the bands we had purchased.  The Murph slid the other band on top in the exchange of rings part of the ceremony.  Now my engagement ring is flanked by two bands designed specifically for my ring, engraving and everything.  Perfect match!

Here is me wearing the antique flapper/slave bracelet and opal ring during the ceremony.

I am hoping to get some clearer shots of the bracelet in the professional photos.  It is definitely a statement piece that stands out.

Art Deco Flapper Bracelet/ Slave Bracelet
designed by Rose of the Mire

Not to mention GORGEOUS! 

Back To Normal After The Wedding

The house is back to normal with just the Murph, me and the cats.  We drove the Boy back to school yesterday and dropped him off.  It was eight hours round trip, but not too bad.  He seemed ready to get back to school.  It really has worked out great this semester as far as getting his meds refilled.  Since he's been in school, we have seen him about once a month in time to refill meds for the next month.  Now he's good until he comes home during Thanksgiving.

The Murph dropped his dad off at the airport Tuesday to fly back to Philadelphia and then drive on to New Jersey.  I know he was ready to get back to his usual routine.  He had to get dialysis twice while he was down here and not too thrilled about the new unfamiliar place he had to go to.   I don't blame him.  We were just so happy he and his companion made the trip to attend our wedding.

The Murph's brother and family drove the 15 hours here from New Jersey.  They left bright and early Monday morning setting the security alarm off in the process.  I was really kind of surprised that that was the only time the alarm was set off with the number of people in the house.  Most mornings the Murph and I were the last ones to go to bed and activate it and the first to wake up and disarm it in the morning.  Murph's brother (the other Murph) was one minute ahead of us Monday morning and set it off before we got up.

It was one of those times when just a few minutes before the alarm, we could hear footsteps walking around upstairs, they were getting ready to leave.  The Murph and I usually sleep sans clothing, but I stayed in my pj's the night before since we had a houseful of people and we were in the office on an air mattress with the door open.  The Murph realized I had pj's on and had just asked me why I had my clothes on.  I had just explained to him that I didn't think that under the circumstances that it would be a good idea to sleep nude.  

The Murph, of course, was nude and didn't care, when all at once the alarm starts blasting.  The Murph can't get up without running streaking naked through the house, so he tells me to RUN, go turn it off and HURRY!  Before it woke up up the entire neighborhood.  Murph's brother (the other Murph) was already heading toward us saying maybe we should have come up with a plan the night before.

Good thing I had my clothes on!  I turned the alarm off as The Murph struggled into his pants, just in time to answer the phone from our security company.

The Murph's dad and companion didn't budge.   They didn't hear anything.  

On the way down to Birmingham, Murph's brother (the other Murph) ran over a skunk, so the entire time they were here, their automobile smelled like skunk.   I didn't get near the car to notice, but The Murph did a few times.  I hope they were able to avoid skunks on the way back north.  I don't usually see very many of skunks down here.  Mostly just deer and raccoon with an occasional armadillo.  They a least make for cleaner smelling road kill.  Temporarily, at least.

The house is too quiet now!

Wedding Pictures - Ceremony and Traditions

Handfasting

Thanks to the Murph's sister in law (now my sister in law too!), we have 100's of pictures of the wedding before we even get any of the pictures from the photographer.  Here are a few of them....

Lighting the candle in memory of my dad and Murph's mom

Murph's niece reading "I Like You" 

Murph reading his vows

Murph handed the glasses to me so I can read my vows

Mr. & Mrs.

Us with the Best Man and Matron of Honor

Me and The Boy

Us with my family

Walking out after changing into the short dress

After cutting the cake

First Dance

Bouquet Toss

Father Daughter Dancing

Toasts

Cutting the cake

Posing for the photographer

The Murph's friend, Nick agreed to do the blessing for us.  He and his wife drove all the way from Little Rock to attend the wedding.

The Blessing

The Murph's family wouldn't let us come into to house unless the Murph carried me over the threshhold.  The Murph obeyed.   They cheered and took pictures and were right, I love these pictures!

Carried across the threshhold 

There are so many more photos, including some fun ones from the photobooth.  I will post the professional ones as soon as I get them.  Our wedding is also being featured in Alabama Wedding magazine.  Can't wait to see the issue!

Nontraditional Wedding Ceremony Music- That's Us!

I knew from the start that I didn't want to use the traditional wedding ceremony music for the processional and recessional.  I didn't realize how difficult it was going to be to choose the perfect songs for us.

It was easy for The Murph.  He quickly chose the Rocky Soundtrack theme "Gonna Fly Now."  The day before the wedding he and his brother, who was his best man, joked about how they were going to walk down the aisle.

Then it was up to me to come up with the the processional songs for me and the bridesmaids.  We only had two attendants each, so the DJ only had to play a little of each song.  I chose the "Butterfly Waltz" even before the Rocky song was chosen, but then I thought about using "Somewhere Over The Rainbow."

After Rocky, that one just didn't cut it.  I went back to "Butterfly Waltz" and it seemed to transition the groom's processional song with my processional song.  The DJ set it all up to play short segments of each song as we were walking down the aisle.

The song I walked down the aisle to was "Only Time" by Enya.  It's such a beautiful song.  The Boy walked my down the aisle and then took his place behind the best man.  He did a great job walking his mom down the aisle.  I was so proud of him!

You will have to go to YouTube to listen to these songs and watch these videos since they are blocked on my website.  (Never mind!  They do seem to be working on my blog now.)

For the recessional, the DJ played  "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do" by Abba.

We had an awesome jazz trio headed by Carlos Pino  played prelude music as our guests were being seated and then during the cocktail hour before dinner.  The DJ, Jeff Davidson, from Feel The Beat Entertainment took over at dinner then continued for the remainder of the evening.  He did a great job!

The entire evening was amazing!  All the vendors we chose were excellent.  I had so much fun and it went by way to fast!  I can't wait to get the professional photos back from the photographer so I can post them.