Wedding Week

I'm getting married in five days, and I love you all I really do but... just no time this week for anymore excitement.


Did I mention the Cardinals won the WORLD SERIES? Now my man gets two rings. 


That's all for now and maybe until I return from MEXICO!!!

A Recipe: No Bake Dirt Cake

It's that time of year and I'm sure you are looking for something spooky to whip up that is still edible. This is especially fun if you have to take something to work OR for your kids around Halloween.

Dirt Cake:

Ingredients:


1 to 1 1/4 lb. pkg Oreo Cookies
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanillla
3 cups milk
1 (12oz) tub Cool Whip (Chocolate will make it darker)
2 (3 1/2oz) pkg chocolate pudding
Gummy worms

Mix it:


Crush Oreos. Put 1/3 of crushed Oreos into new clean flower pot. Set aside.

Mix cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Set aside.

Combine milk and pudding mix. 

Fold Cool Whip into the pudding.Next fold together the pudding mixture and butter-cream cheese mixture.


Layer this mixture onto the crushed Oreos. Layer more crushed Oreos and pudding mixture until all ingredients are used. As you're layering the ingredients place gummy worms or other gummy critters throughout the 'dirt.'

Chill in refrigerator for three to four hours before serving.


I used this cake for Big Guy's birthday. I put dump trucks on top because thats about all he thinks is cool these days. 

It would also be cute to put flower shaped lollipops for a little girls party OR just make it creepy for Halloween. You don't have to have a flower pot you can use a pie plate or cake pan or any other fun dish you have around the house. 


Go check out some other 'Whats for Dinner' recipes here and link up your own.

Excited, Not Excited

Hello dear friends! As always I hope your having a wonderful day. Tonight I have a headache. I think that this is a stress headache because my mind is bouncing around inside my head with so much emotion. 


My world is about to be flipped upside down, in a great way, and I am very excited! On the other hand this sudden change is coming full speed right at me. I haven't fallen asleep before around 3:30 am the last three evenings. My days have been filled with organizing, laundry, and wedding details. I pretty much feel like I can't do anything without feeling this huge knot in my stomach about what isn't finished yet or what has to be done next. I'm ready to move on.


I'm not excited for my wedding day/weekend to fly by like I know it will. This I know I will want to pause all day. 


I'm excited to move in with my best friend and to see how he has remodeled the kitchen in less than two weeks. He is SO good to me!


I'm not excited to pack up ALL my clothes, pack for my wedding weekend, and honeymoon that aren't for another week. I'm a bad packer as it is, so do it in advance and then have all my stuff be in another state is kinda nerve wrecking. 


I'm excited to be in the newlywed stage of life, only ten more days.


I'm not excited to lay down my craft starting Thursday until November 15 but hopefully will come back more motivated and inspired than ever.


But mostly I'm excited to see my handsome man in three days. I had forgotten what its like to not see him for three weeks and I can't stand it. I also know that a hug from him will make any and all anxiety and stress go right out the window. 

Bug's 2nd Birthday

Bug and Big Guy, these are the names I have used for you since the day I started watching you. The first day I layed eyes on you, you were only three weeks old.  We really started to get to know each other when you were about five months old. You were tiny. I hadn't had much experience with babies being that I was only 23 and had just graduatd college. I can't say for sure when I fell in love with you but I'm sure it was a quick fall.  It might have been because you were such a stud in your little Cardinal jumpsuit. 


My life changed when I started watching you. I had NO clue what it took to take care of a baby. I didn't know how to fix a bottle or make baby cereal or determine that different cries meant different things. I learned quickly though and you were very patient with me. You must have known that I had never done this before. 


Then things began to get a little tricky. You decided you wanted to sit up and roll over and you even tried to crawl. Lucky for me all you could do was a very impressive push up for a six month old. That didn't last long though and you were on the move. I do remember that I could almost always trick you to sleep with a ride in your swing. I know you think that is mean, but this isn't the first nor last time I would have to trick you to get you to take a nap for me. 


I can't remember which mornings your sister had preschool but I remember what you and I did while she was gone. You would try to help me do some laundry but just ended up emptying the basket all over the living room for me. I do appreciate you trying to help. Then after that we would put in a Baby Einstein movie, my favorite was Baby Mozart I think that was your s too, fix you a bottle and slip off into a deep sleep.  Our little secret. Don't tell your mom and dad that I would actually nap with you. Most days I didn't but your warm little body cuddled in my arms was priceless and somedays put me right to sleep. 


Then you throw me a curve ball as soon as I get the hang of it. One day, we were following our routine and you projectile vommited all over me. I'll never forget that day and the lesson you taught me. You are probably laughing now but I was more scared than disgusted. I was giving you a bottle and I think at the time you had some congestion with bad drainage (also nothing new you teething, snotty little boy) you gagged and almost everything you just guzzled down came directly out and there was a force behind it. You may have set a distance record as well. Your dad and sister had just went to lay down and take a nap and I had no clue what to do with you. It was on my running shorts, in your rocker, all over you, on the carpet, and it made it all the way over to the couch. Just remember if you ever puke on a girl if you get drunk, which I know you won't ever, tell her she isn't the first girl you puked on. 


I guess by now you were pulling up on everything but not daring enough to take walk. This is a huge shock because there isn't anything you won't try and get into now. You were starting to eat baby food instead of bottles and cereal. Before I knew it. You were already ONE year old. Something strange happened when you turned one though. I had to move away to Alabama to be with the other love of my life. I dreaded the weeks leading up to my departure trying to capture as many pictures and moments with you and to teach you anything I could before I left. Your walking was getting pretty good and you started to look like a little boy instead of a baby in your clothes. 


It was a busy weekend. Sister's 4th birthday party was Saturday and you got baptized Sunday morning with a birthday celebration for you to follow. I was there for all of it and I cried because you will realize soon that girls cry, a lot, over very little things. I made you and sister a slideshow of all our adventures from the previous year. I cried while we watched it and you just looked up at me with those handsome eyes of yours. As I pulled away from your house, you, your sister, Mom and Dad were all waving goodbye to me. It was what I thought the last day I'd be considered your baby sitter.


I recieved phone calls from your mom and sister and when I came to town I would stop by and see you. I stole as many kisses from you as I could. I still do that now. 


Then,  I got a job in Alabama and about ten days before I was supposed to start your mom called me and asked me if I wanted to move back to watch you and your sister again. I thought she was joking. I told her the odds weren't very good of that happening. Much to my suprise I called back and committed to being your babysitter for a second time. I thank God for his crazy timing.


It didn't take me long to fall back into our routine however you were a bit different this time. You were running around the house and showing me what you wanted. Before I had to figure all of this out on my own.  There was no more rocker to rock you to sleep in. Now we put a movie in and you fell asleep next to me in the big chair. You were eating people food, not the stuff we told you was delicious from a jar. I think you even knew how to dance a little but not anything like you do now.


Summer rolled around and I've never met a kid that loves being outside more than you. No I'm serious you didn't care if it was cold, hot hot, or rainy. You had to be outside. At the same time your baby jabber started turning into more than just sounds, but words. We went to the pool and you were brave enough to jump in off the diving board. This was another day you scared me pretty bad. You went in one step to many and I looked over not seeing you, dropped anything in my hands and ran to pull you out of the water. It took me a good five minutes to quit shaking. It was just reassurance of how much I love you and care for you and couldn't let anything happen to you.


Now we are up to speed and today you are quite the handful. Your naps are triggered by rides in the car dropping sister off at preschool. When we get back to the house its the same thing each day, I kiss your crazy curly hair and lay you in your bed and stare at you for a few seconds. I say the simplest prayer of 'God please watch over this little guy and let him grow up to be someone amazing.'  Then I think back to what feels like yesterday of how you used to share your naptime with me. 


Your single words have turned into phrases. You tell me what you want to eat for lunch, watch on tv, and do the rest of the day.  And if we don't do that, you throw one of your lovely little fits. I can't help but think its cute because the things you want are often so simple. A ride in the dump truck. A piece of cheese. To go swing. To color.   Mostly you want to go outside to see a truck of ANY kind. You are starting to figure out how big the world is. I have a feeling you will grow up to be some sort of an athlete but that might be because we forced you to watch so much baseball the last four to five months. 


It brings the biggest smile to my face when I hear you say my name.. something like Wahwin, especially "Pweese Wahwin?"  I'll take it. Then to top it off you often mistake your Albert Pujols toy figurine for Brandon. When you get older this too will make you laugh.


All in all you are by far my most favorite little boy in this entire world. I know that my second term of being your babysitter has ended but I'm hoping next year we will get to spend more time together and I can see what your crazy little two year old self is getting into. I am excited to recieve pictures, texts, and phone calls to hear your sweet little voice. Hope you had a great second birthday even though you try to tell us you're four. 


Love always,

Now on Etsy - laurendarlings

I did it. On top of all the other wonderful busyness, I couldn't help but create more for myself. I opened a new etsy shop today.

www.laurendarlings.etsy.com

It is a trial run. I only have a limited number of items ready for sale. I'm hoping though that orders will stem and this will be my job as I arrive in Alabama, husband in hand. He can even help me with my little shop, if he wants of course. 

Anyway I'm pretty excited its been a fun week getting these darlings ready and also cooking up some goods. Stay tuned for the apple butter post you won't want to miss it. 

October 36th

Did you know I'm getting married on October 36? Well I am. Try and stop me. 
Did I tell you why we chose this date? 


My reasoning to Brandon-


"When you get called up in September and the Cardinals make the playoffs, I'm don't want to have to call everyone to tell them we are moving the wedding because you're playing in the World Series." 


Half of my prediction was true. He did get called up in September. Now I'm waiting for the Cardinals to clinch tonight and head to the world series so the other half comes ture. I don't seem completely crazy for my reason of choosing an October 36th wedding day right?


These beautiful fall days are really making me appreciate that we will have a fall wedding. I used to picture it in the Spring.  Whoa whoa whoa... yes I thought about my wedding some but the time of year was about it. Then last week I found out the leaves are supposed to be at peak season in Tennessee the weekend of our wedding. Apparently they extended it from two weeks to three. Can't wait to see those gorgeous mountains. 


Happy October

Okay FINE. Its November 5th but I just really love the month of October. 

Save the Date

How many brides do you know that e-mail a 'Save the Date'?


Well we did. It was sort of a small joke but also just a heads up for some fam and friends that we decided to make a switcheroo on the wedding location.


And guess what?  They were designed by my sister. Seriously why isn't that girl doing freelance work for weddings? Contact me if your needing some cause she is hot right now and taking orders.

Enjoy!