Portraits

Just a few pencil & ink sketches of myself and my hubby

Beautiful Bottles

So among my other hobbies, I collect bottles. I love antique and vintage bottles, especially cobalt blue, red, and frosted light blue ones, and the older the better. I love hunting for bottles at the local thrift stores and in the swamp, and it is oh so exciting when I find a unique bottle to add to my collection. I love bottles! So, I decided to put my collection to use and used some of them as wedding decor. Here are just a few that I displayed at my wedding. Aren't they just beautiful? 

Wedding Ceremony Readings for Unique Souls

I have been searching and searching for the perfect readings for our quaint November wedding in the heart of New Orleans, and after much time and a whole lot of effort, I believe I have found them! 

You are guaranteed to fall in love with these non-cheesey readings - they are sweet, humorous, and most importantly, perfect for creative, somewhat out-there couples such as me and my soon-to-be hubby. 

If you have also been looking for the perfect readings for your unique wedding, I hope you will find yours here. Enjoy!

CEREMONY OPENERS, SHORT & SWEET STUFF

“Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.”

~Albert Einstein

“We are all a little weird and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.” 

~Dr. Seuss

(I am using one of these as a ceremony opener and the other will be in my wedding program.)

CEREMONY READINGS

Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the couple who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets.
Look ‘em over with care.
About some you will say,
“We don’t choose to go there.”

With your heads full of brains
and your shoes full of feet,you’re too smart to go down,
any not-so-good street.

And you may not find
any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course,
you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there in the wide open air,
Out there things can happen and
frequently do to people
as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,
don’t worry.
Don’t stew.
Just go right along.
You’ll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to great heights!
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have all the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang, and you’ll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because sometimes, you won’t.

You’ll get mixed up of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up with so many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.
Step with great care and great tact and remember that

Life’s a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes!
You will indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

KIDS, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So, be your name Buxbaum or Dowrie
or Bassor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,
you’re off to great places!
Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!”

(I'm probably going to use this one in my program as well.)

Excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

(This is one of my ceremony readings, yay! The Velveteen Rabbit was one of my favorite childhood books so this reading is dear to my heart.)

And I have narrowed my final reading down to one of the following:

Excerpt from Gift From The Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh 

When you love someone, you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. It is even a lie to pretend to. And yet this is exactly what most of us demand. We have so little faith in the ebb and flow of life, of love, of relationships. We leap at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb. We are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanency, on duration, on continuity; when the only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity - in freedom, in the sense that the dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern. 

The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping, even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what it might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. Relationships must be like islands, one must accept them for what they are here and now, within their limits - islands, surrounded and interrupted by the sea, and continually visited and abandoned by the tides.

Loving the Wrong Person

An excerpt from Daily Afflictions by Andrew Boyd

We’re all seeking that special person who is right for us. But if you’ve been through enough relationships, you begin to suspect there’s no right person, just different flavors of wrong. Why is this? Because you yourself are wrong in some way, and you seek out partners who are wrong in some complementary way. But it takes a lot of living to grow fully into your own wrongness. It isn’t until you finally run up against your deepest demons, your unsolvable problems – the ones that make you truly who you are – that you’re ready to find a life-long mate. Only then do you finally know what you’re looking for. You’re looking for the wrong person. But not just any wrong person: the right wrong person – someone you lovingly gaze upon and think, “This is the problem I want to have.”

Love by Roy Croft

I love you

Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.

I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.

I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.

I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple.

Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.

I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good.
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.

You have done it
By being yourself.

from I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg 

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it’s special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, “Remember when you told me something special?”
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
you think it’s important too
We have good ideas
When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I’m funny and you think I’m funny too
Hah-hah!

I like you because you know where I’m ticklish
And you don’t tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes
But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too

You know how to be silly
That’s why I like you
Boy are you ever silly
I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you
I like you because you know when it’s time to stop being silly
Maybe day after tomorrow
Maybe never
Too late, it’s a quarter past silly!

Sometimes we don’t say a word
We snurkle under fences
We spy secret places
If I am a goofus on the roofus hollering my head off
You are one too
If I pretend I am drowning, you pretend you are saving me
If I am getting ready to pop a paper bag,
then you are getting ready to jump
HOORAY!

That’s because you really like me
You really like me, don’t you?
And I really like you back
And you like me back and I like you back
And that’s the way we keep on going every day

If you go away, then I go away too
or if I stay home, you send me a postcard
You don’t just say “Well see you around sometime, bye”
I like you a lot because of that
If I go away, I send you a postcard too
And I like you because if we go away together
And if we are in Grand Central Station
And if I get lost
Then you are the one that is yelling for me

And I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don’t always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can’t stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time
I like you because if I am mad at you
Then you are mad at me too
It’s awful when the other person isn’t
They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about punch them in the nose

I like you because if I think I am going to throw up
then you are really sorry
You don’t just pretend you are busy looking at the birdies and all that
You say, maybe it was something you ate
You say, the same thing happened to me one time
And the same thing did

If you find two four-leaf clovers, you give me one
If I find four, I give you two
If we only find three, we keep on looking
Sometimes we have good luck, and sometimes we don’t
If I break my arm, and if you break your arm too
Then it’s fun to have a broken arm
I tell you about mine, you tell me about yours
We are both sorry
We write our names and draw pictures
We show everybody and they wish they had a broken arm too

I like you because I don’t know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can’t remember when I didn’t like you
It must have been lonesome then
I like you because because because
I forget why I like you but I do

So many reasons
On the 4th of July I like you because it’s the 4th of July
On the fifth of July, I like you too
If you and I had some drums and some horns and some horses
If we had some hats and some flags and some fire engines
We could be a HOLIDAY
We could be a CELEBRATION
We could be a WHOLE PARADE

See what I mean?
Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again

That’s how it would happen every time
I don’t know why
I guess I don’t know why I really like you
Why do I like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you because I like you.

I absolutely love all of these readings. How do I choose just one? This is going to be a difficult decision. 

Mason Jar Magic

I absolutely love everything vintage so I am planning on incorporating Mason Jars into my wedding decor (which is in 23 days, ahhh). Check out my jar inspiration below - these are some amazing ideas, and I will definitely be using some of them at my wedding. And the best part of using Mason Jars for my wedding is that I can re-use them to decorate throughout my home after the wedding! Who wouldn't love to look at these beautiful jars every day? Click on the pic to learn more about how to create the look. Enjoy!  

 

DIY Burlap Flowers by La Belle Bride

Aren't these burlap flowers just beautiful? I think they will look stunning at my rustic/vintage wedding in November! Visit La Belle Bride to learn how to make these oh so beautiful flowers. If you loved her flowers, check out Chantale's other DIY Wedding Projects - I'm sure you will love  them as well. Happy Crafting!

Diy Fabric Flowers

Diy Fabric Flowers by Michonne I recently stumbled across this amazing fabric flower tutorial via 100 Layer Cake.
I have my heart set on making fabric flowers for my bridal hair piece,centerpieces, and chair sashes, but I couldn't decide on how to make them until I found this tutorial. 
These flowers are perfect and oh so easy to make. I can't wait until my wedding day so I can show off my beautiful, handmade flowers! 
Thanks 100 Layer Cake for posting this great tutorial, and thanks to Michonne for the inspiration and sharing them with the craft world! Click the link below to check out Michonne's DIY Fabric Flowers via 100 Layer Cake. 
DIY Fabric Flowers
If you would like to see more of Michonne's Wedding & DIY Projects, visit the Wedding By Color website. Enjoy!

Disaster Hits Home - Hurricane Isaac's Impact

Isaac, Braithwaite, LA

Just like many other St. John the Baptist Parish residents, I didn't believe that hurricane Isaac would do this much damage to our area. I'm a lifelong resident of Reserve, Louisiana (which is just west of LaPlace), and in my 29 years living here, I have never seen such disastrous flooding. 

Isaac, LaPlace, LA

It's not that any of us simply assumed there wouldn't be much damage because Isaac was only a category 1 hurricane - we were really given no warning that this could and would occur until it was too late. A voluntary evacuation was announced for our parish, nothing more, and up until the water began to rise so rapidly, we had not received any information that suggested we should prepare for major flooding.

Isaac, LaPlace, LA

My father owns an electrical, A/C, & plumbing company in Reserve so we never evacuate our homes when a hurricane threatens the Gulf Coast in case any of us are needed before, during, or after a storm. We feel that we have a duty to serve the residents and businesses of our parish during times like this, so I have experienced every tropical storm and hurricane that has effected our area since 1983.

Isaac, LaPlace, LA

 I have had some very bad experiences over the years, but I have never seen anything like the destruction that Isaac brought and continues to bring to our parish as well as many other nearby areas.  

Isaac, Plaquemines Parish, LA

It is estimated that approximately 4,000 residents of St. John the Baptist Parish were evacuated from their homes during and after the storm. Many of them have lost everything because of the flood waters, including some of my very close friends.

Isaac, Lutcher, LA

Homes in several neighborhoods went completely underwater while many, including my father's and grandfather's homes, held anywhere between 1 to 5 feet of water for a period of 2 or more days. 

Isaac, Manchac, LA 

After Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurpas began to overflow on Wednesday, August 29th, the water began to rise so rapidly that we didn't even see the flood coming until it was too late to do anything about it. My parents' front yard looked like a lake, and the people speeding down the street during the storm made things even worse. Every vehicle that passed by pushed more and more water into their home.

Isaac, River Forest, LaPlace, LA

We felt trapped, helpless, and cut off from the outside world, because we lost all methods of communication. We listened to the radio for hours and heard no news of what was happening or what was yet to come. Finally, people began to call various radio stations to get information. The radio personnel were doing the best they could to find out what was happening but still had no concrete information until residents began to call in to report what areas of St. John Parish were flooded.

Isaac, Plaquemines Parish, LA

Some even called for help, asking to be rescued from their neighborhoods because they had been sitting on top of their vehicles and homes for hours. No one was ready for this type of disaster because no one was informed that this could ever happen here. 

Our parish has a lot of rebuilding to do, and although it will be a long and stressful time for all of us here in St. John Parish, we will, without a doubt, recover from this disaster. I'm just thankful that we all made it through this, as individuals and as a community.  Here are some pictures of several streets in Reserve, Louisiana, located in St. John the Baptist Parish. 

My Storm Experiences Prior to Isaac

The first major hurricane that I actually remember going through was Andrew in 1992. We experienced some flooding in our yard and a tornado tore through our neighborhood, but thankfully did not hit our home.

Andrew

I also remember Frances & Georges in September of 1998, but our area had very little damage from wind or rain.

Frances

Georges

Lili hit the Louisiana coast in 2002 as a Category 2 hurricane. We really lucked out for this storm because we were expecting it to hit our coast as a Category 4, and I was in full panic mode throughout most of the storm.

Lili

Cindy hit Louisiana in July of 2005 as a Category 1, but I don't remember any major damages in our area.

Cindy

Then there was Katrina, the mother of all storms. Katrina hit the Louisiana/Mississippi Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane on August 29 of 2005. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was absolutely terrified and I had a very good reason to be. Our parish experienced extreme winds and rain during the storm, but the aftermath was so much worse.

Katrina

Lower 9th Ward after Katrina

Superdome after Katrina

I was a student at the University of New Orleans when Katrina hit and had lived in the city for a few years prior to the disaster. So many of my close friends were living in the city when the storm hit New Orleans, and after we found out about the breaches in the levee system, I wasn't sure if they were dead or alive.

I can remember watching the news and seeing dead bodies floating down the flooded streets and wondering if they were people I knew. It was absolutely horrible. I thought New Orleans would never rebuild, but slowly but surely recovery came, with the help of millions of wonderful people around the world.

Less than a month after Katrina, Rita hit the Louisiana/Texas border. I hardly remember this storm because I was still so dazed from the aftermath of Katrina. I guess I sort of blocked it out because I wasn't ready to deal with more disaster. 

Rita, Cameron LA

The worst experience I have ever had due to a hurricane was when hurricane Gustav hit the Louisiana coast in 2008. My grandfather passed away the night before the storm made landfall, and mourning his death while also dealing with major wind damages and widespread power outages was complete chaos. We had to postpone his funeral because most of our parish was out of power and many of his friends and family who evacuated could not get back home. It was an unforgettable, horrible experience which I hope I will never have to endure again.

Gustav

I've already told you about Isaac, our most recent hurricane, but I'm sure it won't be the last storm story I will ever tell. Hurricane season in Louisiana is hardly over, and there is a good possibility that we may experience one or more storms this year. Hopefully we will get lucky, but if we aren't, we'll do what we always do - prepare as best as we can, ride out the storm, and start putting our lives back together afterwards.