Memorial Day Getaway

Oh hi friends! I'm slowly getting back to blogging here & there. But first, it's time for a little get away to the lake for Memorial Day weekend to kick off summer.
Hoping that you & yours get to enjoy a little r&r this weekend {& a few skinny girl margaritas-have you had one!? delicious!}. Any of you attending a wedding this weekend? I hope it's on a lakeside estate and filled with lovely little details!

p.s. I post a little more often on my personal blog, lucky knot. Come & say hello!
photo via JP Wedding Photography as seen at Once Wed.

Pictures

Hi there my little bloggity blog friends! It's come to my attention that many, if not all of the pictures from 2009-2007 that I have posted on this blog are no longer visible. I will be working on this issue in the days and weeks to come and hope to have all of the pretty pictures back for you to see. xoxo.

happy holidays!

Here's to hoping that your holidays have been as sweet as mine!
Congratulations to those of you that are newly engaged! Happy planning!

xo

photo via: bippityboppityboo

Love & Candy

Five years ago, on halloween, Chris & I became "exclusive." Three years ago, on halloween, Chris proposed & the wedding planning frenzy kicked into high gear. I was and still am the luckiest girl. Hence, my new{ish} little personal blog, lucky knot.

To all of you that have been following along since my post on engagement post the day after halloween three years ago & to those of you that have just joined in, thanks for reading! I hope that your halloweens are filled with as much love & candy as mine have been!

xo, jessica lynn
photo via elizabeth messina.

I'll Leave the Porch Light On...

When I made my first post on this little bloggity blog back on August 22, 2007 (almost 2 months before I was even engaged!) there was no Snippet & Ink (September 2007), EAD Weddings (Oct 2007), the Bride's Cafe (October 2007), Green Wedding Shoes (Oct 2008) or 100 Layer Cake (Feb 2009). I know what you’re thinking…how in the world was one to ever plan a wedding without those blogs?!!? Back then I was (and still am) inspired by Classic Bride, An Excited Bride , Weddingbee and Style Me Pretty and I slowly began to plan our wedding day and document as much of the planning process as I could.

The wedding came and went and is now a lovely memory that I keep smiling back on. It would not have been as delightful if it had not been for the comments, ideas and inspiration left by readers like you and the copious amounts of pictures drawn from photographers blogs that helped form our vision thought the journey. After the wedding I pondered what would become of this little blog of mine. I didn’t really yet know the answer, so I kept plugging along and updating frequently with wedding things that caught my eye or made me swoon. And now, after 586 posts, I am once again pondering what will become of this little blog of mine.

I saw this quote on the {wonderful} A Practical Wedding a while ago and I think that it is most appropriate for this post of mine, "Every one of us is called upon, probably many times, to start a new life. A frightening diagnosis, a marriage, a move, the loss of a job... And onward full tilt we go, pitched and wrecked and absurdly resolute, driven in spite of everything to make good on a new shore. To be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another - that is surly the basic instinct... Crying out: High tide! Time to move out into the glorious debris. Time to take this life for what it is." - Barbara Kingsolver, High Tide in Tucson

It is time for me to move out into “the glorious debris” of life after wedding planning. It’s time for me to cuddle more with my husband, fully enjoy nesting in our new home and make more time for friends and family. These things cannot be done while attempting to blog full time on two blogs, enduring a google reader containing over 100 lovely blogs and running a calligraphy shop on top of a real day job.
To say that this blog has brought me happiness over the past two years would be an understatement. I cannot put into words how proud I am of what this little blog of mine has become. I’ll never really be able to let this blog go, but it is time to start to loosen my grasp and move on to new shores and take this life as it is. Posting will be light and occur when the moment is right. After all, one can never resist to share a pretty picture of a soft image from a beautiful wedding, right? As long as I promise to leave the porch light on I hope that you will still drop by to visit every once in a while.

p.s. you can still catch me over at Penned & Pretty where I will continue to grow my blooming little calligraphy business and post as often on my calligraphy projects, favorite wedding invitations and other beautiful wedding paper goods.

p.p.s. perhaps a personal blog is in the works? would you read?!

photos by: adrienne beth photography . love them.

Thankful

There are lots of things that I am thankful for, not just around the holidays, but throughout the year. I am thankful for the 23 short years that I was able to spend with my Dad. I am thankful that my Mom is not only my Mom, but a friend. I am thankful {and grateful} for a group of 10 women that have come into my life over the past seven years. I am thankful for the men & women serving in the armed forces. I am thankful that my husband and I have decent jobs and our bank account can afford my tri-weekly trips to Target. I am thankful for my little calligraphy business, penned and pretty and for this little blog {& it's readers} too. I am thankful that my husband and I have been blessed with over a year of marriage and have many more years together. And I am always, always, thankful for family.

photo by: adrienne beth

Our First {Wedding} Anniversary

Halloween is always a special day for Chris and I. On Halloween in 2005 we became "official." On Halloween in 2007, Chris proposed. Out of the two of us, I have a long list of our special days and anniversaries (the day we met, the day we kissed, the day we married, etc). Now that we're married, Chris is attempting to only have to really celebrate one day, our wedding day. I still intend on celebrating them all...even if it's just myself and a bottle of champagne! Ha.On September 27, we celebrated our one year {wedding} anniversary. My first gift to Chris was really more of a gift for both us. It is a tiny text "i love you" bowl from palomas nest. I have wanted one for a while now and this just seemed to be the perfect occasion to splurge on one. It now sits on our bathroom vanity counter top and holds our rings when we are showering or getting ready in the morning.
I also incorporated paper in my gift as it is the traditional wedding anniversary gift for the first year of marriage. A few months ago, I saw this little post on an idea for the "Card Catalog of Love" and i knew right then and there that it would be the perfect anniversary gift to my husband. The book call numbers were replaced with significant dates in our lives. The titles of the books were replaced with the event that occurred on that special date and included a summary of the event along with important people, locations, etc. My husband teared up when he started reading through the 30+ cards that I had come up with that date back to the day we met. We intend on adding 5-10 cards a year to the box along with pictures from those significant dates. In 10 years I think that it will be a family keepsake that we will always treasure.
It was a very happy {and meaningful} first anniversary!
Pictures taken by jessicalynn402 of the Palomas Nest bowl and used with permission of Palomas Nest.

Labor Day Weekend

Hi friends,
I'm off with my husband to enjoy the last few rays of summer at the lake with my Mom. This time of year always comes with mixed feelings. The fun days of summer slowly fade and winter, it seems, is lurking right around the corner. But for this weekend I'm going to wear my favorite white shorts and capris {right up til Monday} and have as many margaritas as I can before trading it all for jeans, hooded sweatshirts and red wine that come along with fall.
Have a lovely weekend my little bloggity blog friends!
{not sure where this lovely image came from...apologies!}

Promotion

This little blogger just learned today that she is getting a promotion in October at her day job!

A celebration is clearly in order and the husband is going to cook up quite a feast for us tonight and an expensive bottle of champagne will be purchased, opened, and consumed this evening.

Bonus points if he brings home a breathtaking bouquet like this tonight. These lovely flowers were designed by the talented JM Flora with photos by Katie Stoops.

My Special Day

Today is my 25th little birthday and, if you don't mind, I'll be taking the rest of the week off to celebrate! Here are a couple gems that I wouldn't remind receiving from a certain husband.
I do believe that this bouquet is a bouquet of sweet peas. Sweet peas for a sweet pea, right?!

Peonies peonies peonies. What girl could ever resist peonies?!

I hope that you all have as beautiful of a day as I am about to have!

xo

photos by open air photography for janie medley flora design

Business Proposition

I have a little business proposition for all of you out there. Someone find a space as open as this and I'll bring the robins egg blue paint and chandeliers draped with non-foo foo garland and we'll have ourselves a lovely little reception hall. After a couple finishing touches we can throw open the doors to brides to be and their rehearsal dinners, bridal shower lunches and even the occasional intimate wedding!
Who's with me? Extra points if you're a wedding planner since we could combine your mad planning skillz with my penned & pretty calligraphy skillz. Can you say full service?!
photo by: laura novak

Party Filled Weekend

I'll have you know that I am off for quite the party filled weekend!

Tonight I'll be wearing my favorite sundress and breaking in my new cowboy boots at the Keith Urban/Taylor Swift concert with two of my Cincinnati girlfriends. Rest assured that I will be belting out "Days Go By", "Better Life" and my new favorites "Sweet Thing" and "Kiss a Girl." To say that I am quite excited would be quite an understatement.

Saturday brings the bachelorette party of one of my best friends, Laura Ann of The Beginning of Forever. We're keeping the events of the evening a secret from her, so I can't share anything with you since she is a regular reader of this little bloggity blog of mine. Let's just say that I found the cutest dress this past week at Forever 21 and it will be perfect for the occasion!

I hope that your weekend is shaping up to be as fun as mine will undoubtedly be!

image via it's mary ruffle

Pinkie Swear

Dear Bloggity Blog Friends,
I haven't forgotten about all of you or this little bloggity blog. Pinkie swear, once life returns to normal and decides to pass at a slower pace that I will be back to blogging. Don't you worry, I have been stockpiling inspiration like it's my job {I wish it was} and I'll even be sharing a couple more images and details from our wedding that I forgot to blog about! Be back soon! xoxo Jessica Lynn
What would a post be without a pretty picture?! A very relaxed bride and groom {love her dress!} via jasmine star.
P.S. For any of you that follow me over at my little calligraphy shop, Penned & Pretty, new pictures are coming of our recent work!

Moving

I have big news to share with you all {if you haven't been following me on twitter}...we're moving! Chris and I closed Wednesday on our first home together and will be moving in over the weekend {along with attending a first communion and a wedding on Saturday!}. We are beyond thrilled to have our own little pad and place to call home. That being said, posting around these parts might be a little on the light side for the next week or so {plus or minus some scheduled posts}. You understand, right!?
p.s. recommendations for paint samples are highly encouraged. comment below.

p.p.s. when you buy a refridge, washer/dryer and dining room table all in one week...you feel a little broke.

p.p.p.s the cutest little moving announcements, which were posted over at Penned & Pretty as found on oh so beautiful paper by: FPO

Starbucks

Over at Penned & Pretty, yesterday's post featured a delicious save the date, and I just had to share it here, along with a story for all of you.
One of the first {of many} sweet little things that Chris did for me involved Starbucks. He came up with this elaborate plot with one of my sorority sisters to get me to the Starbucks on campus at 7am on a Friday morning. I had no clue what was going on and willingly went to Starbucks with my friend, having just rolled out of bed sporting no makeup and my favorite old old old hooded sweatshirt and non-matching sweatpants. I was a sight to see. My dear friend and I were in line to buy our Starbucks when there was a tap on my shoulder. Chris had taken the day off work and driven up bright and early to surprise me and spend the day together. I was shocked...and completely embarrassed that I had no makeup on. However, the day that we spent together was absolutely perfect in every way. We snapped this little gem along the canal in Indianapolis and it remains one of our favorites to this day.

And there you have it. A lovely save the date and a story to boot. You're now on your way to having a perfect little Friday. My friends and I are headed up to Chicago bright and early on Saturday morning for the bachelorette party in honor of our friend Candice. I'm sure I'll be back with stories. p.s. how in the world is it already may 1st?

Until Monday

Hi friends! After being out of town for 10 straight days, I'm going to take a back seat to blogging until Monday. There is laundry that needs to be done while I'll be working from home {and may or may not be positioned outside near the pool} and I have two orders to address for penned & pretty that are calling my name.
So, I hope that you have a delightful and relaxing friday {and weekend!!!} and I'll see you back here on Monday!

image via the white box blog

Frontier? No Thanks

Last Monday I asked you to "hold that thought" and bear with me since the hotel in Omaha I am staying at is wi-fi free {seriously}. This Sunday evening, we have bigger issues.
On Friday the plans were to fly from Omaha to Denver to Phoenix to visit one of my bridesmaids for the weekend before flying back into Omaha for another week of work. I made it to Denver, but then things got interesting. There was a blizzard in the middle of April and the Denver airport was a mess. After an hour and a half delay we were able to board our flight to Phoenix. One hour later our plane taxied to the de-icing area. One hour later we were still sitting there, fully de-iced. And then we went back to our gate. And then our flight was cancelled. We un-boarded only to watch THE EXACT PLANE we had just un-boarded be turned over to a different, more priority flight which took off within 45 minutes. Let's just say that I will never fly on Frontier Airlines ever again. So, after spending a lovely night on the floor near gate A32, I finally made it to Phoenix and stayed there for all of 33 hours. Then it was back through Denver and into Omaha.
So, after my lovely travel-filled weekend {and being at the Denver airport Friday, Saturday AND Sunday}, I hope that you'll cut me some slack. I am quite jet-legged, red-eyed and tired but i hope to be back to regular posting by Tuesday.

I chose this picture to serve as the pretty picture for this post because I think that the bridesmaid to the right of the bride looks like me. She could be my twin....or at least my sister. If you know her, lets find out if she's in my family tree somewhere. k?

photo by stone blue productions via the brides cafe

Catching Up On Tags

I have some catching up to do! Jessica of Mason Jar Bride , Nicole Lynn of Sea Side Smitten, and Abby from A Glimpse of the Girl Next Door nominated me for the Blog Luv award {a blog that shoes great attitude and/or gratitude}! Thank you so much! I am truly grateful to all of you that come to this little blog everyday and read what I have to say. And I am so grateful to my Penned & Pretty clients, you are making my dream come true of owning my own little business! So, I pass this award on to all of you!
Here are the rules: 1. Put the logo on your blog or post. 2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE & link to your nominees. 4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award. 6. If you're feelin' extra frisky, go ahead and include 10 random facts about yourself.
Here are my random facts:
1. When I yawn once, I yawn at least 10 more times over the next 15 minutes.
2. I despise panty hoes. I refuse to wear them.
3. I used to have 6 mt. dew’s a day. Now I have 3-4 diet mt. dew’s a day. Such progress.
4. I have a bachelors, masters and I passed the CPA exam on the first try. Just had to brag.
5. I don’t know how I would make it through Monday’s if it weren’t for Gossip Girl, the Bachelor and One Tree Hill being on TV in the evening.
6. I could shop in Target and only Target and be quite satisfied.
7. Almost all the clothes in my closet are white, gray or black. Cut me some slack, I work in corporate America.
8. I didn’t have my first Starbucks coffee until I was a junior in college. I missed out, I know.
9. I am a Dee Gee.
10. I would not be able to function without my blackberry

And here's a little pretty picture for this post:

photo found via: Southern Weddings magazine

Setting Up Shop

My little shop is almost ready to open for business. The invoices are ready to go and a supply of fresh envelopes and pens just begging to be used. The shop has a cute little name and a logo to match, courtesy of the lovely April of April Foster Events.

However, before I reveal all the little details to all of you, I want to ensure every "i" is dotted and all the "t's" are crossed. So, like me, you'll have to be patient. But here's a sneak peak of what's to come...

Shop Update

Dear bloggity blog friends,
I just wanted to thank you all for the wonderful response that I have received in response to this little post in which I let you know that I was toying with opening up shop and addressing envelopes for the invitations, save the dates and so much more for brides-to-be. I am excited to share with you all that the doors to my little shop will be opening soon {once I straighten out a few more details}! At some point this week I hope to share with you all of the exciting details regarding the new businazz, which will include a brand new blog!

Also, I mentioned here that I would like to give my first few clients an introductory rate. If you were one of the first five clients to contact me, I will be e-mailing you this week to discuss the introductory rate with you. Any other e-mails that have been sent my way will be answered shortly, as soon as I work out my pricing schedule. Just so you know, cross my heart that my prices will be more affordable than you can imagine.

I cannot wait to work with each and every one of you! Thank you for making my dream of owning a business {suddenly} come into fruition.

And, as always, because every post should have a pretty picture....

from the lovely blog of paul johnson