Oh Baby

I don’t know if there is something in the water but everyone I know is expecting! Not only are my cousins going to add three new cousins, in true Franklin fashion they keeping up with our yearly quota, but all the girls I work with as well! I have three colleagues that are expecting, and two girlfriends. For my girlfriend Jen, I am going to help throw her shower and for my girlfriend Keri, I will probably get to help decorate the baby’s room. Not to mention that we have four weddings coming up! I was looking around online for some baby inspiration and to get in the mind set and there is so much stuff that I had no idea about. I can honestly say I think planning for baby is harder than planning a wedding. Watching my friends go through book after book researching brands from strollers to cribs and everything in between to color schemes and name choosing. It is however magical to watch them change over time. I definitely can’t wait to become a mother myself; there is something very empowering about motherhood when you get to assist and work alongside the “creator” himself in creating a little life. On a very superficial side, I absolutely LOVE looking at the clothing! It doesn’t help that the boutique I work out of half the time is right next store to this high-end baby couture store. Here are some things that I just absolutely love!

I work with this photographer and she is so good about capturing the

little expression of kids.

Her company name is Jessica Davis Photography!

This is one of my favorite baby rooms

"A Wedding Specialist"

I have been looking for a job all summer long and one day it hit me. I am going to take the fall off and do what I love...a little bit of everything. The fall season is my favorite time of year. I love when the leaves turn colors, the air gets a little cooler and the Holidays are among us. It took me a really long time to get to this point but none the less I made it. For so long I have been on the go with work, school and planning a wedding that I never had time to do what I love. I want to spend more time with the family, craft and maybe even cook great meals dressed with fantastic tables capes even if it just for the two of us. I want to play with home decor, I already have a lady that I worked with when I worked at the invitation shop ask if I would help her stage the store for Christmas...of course! The only down side to this bright idea is when people want to know what I have been up to. I think I am going to make up my own title, "A Wedding Specialist." I do sales for magazines so vendors can attract the brides. I do web and search engine optimization for companies to get better Google rankings. I do layout for magazines and help guide the vendors into stronger branding and corporate identity. I do custom invitations in helping the brides theme and or ideas come to life. I do dress consulting, helping the bride decide between a modern Vera Wang or Cristos princess gown. I am a decorator who helps people stage for the holidays and also do there holidays cards, to coordinate together of course. Whatever my title is, I try to wake up every morning with my number one job, to be a fabulous wife, good daughter, great sister and a helpful friend!

Here is a room that I model my office after, very Shabby Chic! My new thing is thrift

shopping and giving life to antiques!

Here is an invitation line I often find inspiration from.

I love doing custom invites with fabric!

At the shop, we get weekly flowers delivered!

The bridal dress place I help out from time to time.

Here is the magazine I work for, can't wait till the news issue launches in September!

The yellow rose of Texas

So right after Ian and I got home from Kaui, we flew back to Bako to visit my very ill grandmother. Although she needed help from time to time getting around, she was still pretty independent and feeling ok. While we were on her trip she started to feel so great. Ian and I went home to visit her and had some much needed time alone with her. A couple of days later, she had passed and my world was turned upside down. The more I think about it the more I come to the conclusion that it was really sudden and not something my family had expected. I still have her in my cell phone and often catch myself trying to call her as I did every other day. The funeral was beautiful, I really am lucky to have my husband’s family who all came to support me at such a rough time. The church was packed with people and yellow roses, her favorite. Each family member wanted to speak but came to the conclusion that electing a single family member would be the best since there was so many of us. My sister delivered an awesome speech that encompassed my childhood to a tee. She then asked at the end of her speech for each grandchild to stand, I never heard so many gasp as the audience glanced at how diverse and how many of us there were. We counted 21 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren with two to be born in late October. Even though I know my Grandma "Mawtha" is with me, I do miss her often. I try to do one thing that she would have done everyday!

Happy Birthday Molly!

I can't believe my little sister is 21 years old...time really flies by! I remember dressing her up in little doll clothing because she was so little, the never ending Cheetos that she went through and the horse that she is still waiting for Santa to bring her. She has accomplished so much in her 21 years, going to UCLA, spending a semester in Spain and working at the law office that represent Pamela Anderson with her divorce from Tommy Lee the first time. I am so proud of my little sister! Love you Molly McButter!

Our First Anniversary!

So it has been a while since I have updated our blog but after you see everything I post today...you will know why. Let me take you back! On July 26, Ian and I celebrated our first anniversary. I really can't believe it has been a year already. I do still feel like we just started dating! To celebrate, we took a trip to our favorite island, Kaui, with the family. We had so much fun, all we did was lay out, snorkel and eat. Who could ask for more! We went to our favorite restaurant that overlooks the beach. The sun was just about to set and the waiter had cleared the table and there, left behind, was a little box on the table. Ian had given me the other wedding band that came with my engagement ring set...he is so awesome!!!