Christmas decor

my side of the family this Christmas

So I am behind on the Christmas post but I really enjoy seeing how others decorate for Christmas so I thought I would share our little Christmas apartment! For those of you who do not know - I am slightly obsessed with Christmas! I love the warm feeling of a cozy home with twinkly white lights, candles, evergreens, spices, family, giving, and the true story of CHRISTmas. So here are pics from my phone (asking for a nice camera next Christmas!) I have a decent Canon digital (that I never use cause my phone is so convenient) I would like one of those nice ones with the big lens that produces beautiful, quick and crisp photos! AND these pictures are tiny so I will have to start using my camera :/



front door wreath
Lowes wreath and "V" from Hobby Lobby


coffee table tray wedding gift that stays there all the time
glittery candles from Hobby Lobby
frame a gift from hubby
glass hurricane wedding gift from Target
pine cones from Hobby Lobby and I glittered some of them



we turned an old bookcase into a bar in the dining room area
nothing Christmas about it but we tend to partake
in adult beverages more during the holidays
I found vintage decanters at consignment stores
we inherited some cool bar ware from Matt's grandparents
Matt's great grandma owned a bar in Cincinnati called Valentine's
we also inherited a cool bar mirror with the
"Valentine's" logo on it
also received some bar ware as wedding gifts
silver monogrammed champagne bucket was a wedding gift
monogrammed champagne glasses I had made for the wedding
framed wedding invitation
silver cocktail shaker from TJ Maxx




I layered a black feather wreath I have had for years
with a silver ornament wreath I found at a consignment store
the feather wreath hangs at our back/patio door all the time
added a pop of Christmas red with ribbon to hang the silver wreath
the wreath hangs by our bar and dining area
our vintage silver, black and white area


this is our inherited dining table set from my parents
I am pretty sure it was their first dining table
I don't love it but it does the job
I got the silver candlestick and tray on a recent antiquing trip with the in laws
the julep cup candles are monogrammed and a wedding gift



our tree - obviously
I used burlap as the skirt 3yds was plenty from Hobby Lobby
I used golds, browns, and silvers
I also used real cotton I bought from Hobby Lobby in their Thanksgiving section
I also used jingle bells and lots of glittery ornament balls
I plan on doing more with the tree next year
when I have a bigger budget (hopefully!)



the mantle
my favorite thing to decorate - I like to keep it decorated year round
I used real greens and lots of candles and candlesticks
most of the candlesticks are from consignment or antique stores
I used our unity candles from the wedding which stay up there all the time
I like to keep them out instead of being tucked away
I got new stockings this year - confession: I got 3 matching just in case there is a little one before we get new ones hopefully NOT within 4 years
I only hung 2 - obviously
the candelabra stays on the floor (year round) in front of our "fake" fireplace that glows




Ok, that is all! Next time I plan on having LARGER pictures! Let me know if you have posted Christmas decor photos on your blog so I can check them out! I am always looking for inspiration for the next year.

New Year!

Hope everyone had a MERRY Christmas and a HAPPY/safe New Year! One of my resolutions for this year is to blog more! I am going to try and transition from wedding blogging (I am sure there will still be some wedding stuff because of my job : ) to newlywed and everyday life blogging. I hope to post about some projects we have done around our humble abode as well as decorating,crafts, cooking and more! I am already thinking up some good posts for this new year! Until next time cheers from The Valentines!

I'm Back!

I have been a non blogger for so long (July was my last post! eek!) and there is a reason behind my absence. Blogging reminded me of the wedding and I was so disappointed by some elements of the wedding that it was very hard to get over. I know to some of you that may sound so silly and many times I have tried to tell myself to stop being so critical and to get over it - which I am working on and that is why I am trying to blog more again. I am hoping that blogging will be my outlet and help me put all the little things behind me, because after all I am happily married to my best friend and that is what matters!

BUT you have to realize that I work in the wedding business and I see multiple beautiful weddings EVERY weekend. It is hard to see it first hand and compare it to mine, I just can't help it. There are so many things that I would change about my wedding, I know that there is no way to have it all and I would have to have A LOT of money to pull off my dream wedding (maybe someday!). Working as a floral designer at a premier event and wedding florist is amazing, the work that we do on a daily basis is nothing but the best - which is how every florist should function. WELL, NOT my wedding florist. Let's just say that there were lots of tears when I saw my wedding flowers (not happy tears). Being in the business I expected so much out of my wedding flowers and to say that I was disappointed is an understatement. Some of you may be wondering why I did not do them myself, well I did not want to be a bridezilla and no one should have to do their own flowers for their wedding - too much stress! And why did I not hire my boss to do my flowers? Well, when I started my job in February and had my date set in June there was really no question that my boss and co workers would not be doing my flowers (which I was fully aware of, but would TOTALLY go back in time now and BEG and PLEAD for them to make it happen : ). Not only could they not do my flowers, there were not able to attend my wedding either : ( I work in Nashville and my wedding was in Louisville so between the 3 hour drive and having 8 weddings that weekend I knew that there was no way they could be there.

My mom and I were determined to hire seasoned professionals to do basically everything so we did not have to run around on the wedding day doing last minute details (we THOUGHT we had hired seasoned professionals - I will blog about all of them later *not all of our vendors disappointed us, but more than one) We wanted to enjoy the day, which I did!



I had a very relaxing day with my bridesmaids, parents, and some other family members at my parents house. My dad mixed mimosas all day for us girls, my uncle was a busy bee straightening the kitchen and making sure my parent's house was not destroyed by all the "controlled" chaos, my mom was able to relax (some) and hang with us girls and some of my family dropped in throughout the day. It was great. I got to spend time with all my bridesmaids: my best friend since 7th grade, my best friend from college/Phi Mu, my sister in law, and my 2 future sister in laws (Matt's sisters). I look back and really that was one of the best parts of the day. I was surrounded by people who loved me and I felt so at ease because I knew that I was marrying my best friend. I was not nervous at all and was surprisingly super calm...

Okay, that is all for today - I have been on Pinterest all morning and now it is time for me to get things done (Christmas decorating, cleaning, and run errands). I will hopefully blog more tomorrow about the wedding and my HORRIBLE florist! I do want you to know that I am fully aware that my wedding is a minuscule thing in life and that there are so many more important things out there to worry about. I am just a girl who needs an outlet and has real emotions and needs some way to get them out. Cheers to you all, hope you are all getting ready for Thanksgiving! We are hosting Matt's family this year and I am excited to use some of our wedding gifts for entertaining!

Pics from Blake & Miranda Shelton's Wedding

Wanted you all to see some of the pics from Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's wedding festivities. My boss has received some pics but these are straight from the photographers blog! Still cannot believe that I was able to experience this all first hand! I got to party with all the stars (after we broke down EVERYTHING that we put up - which took 4 DAYS to put up and about 2 HOURS to take down!!!) Reba, Katherine Heigl, Kelly Clarkson, Martina McBride, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Lady Antebellum and the list goes on...I got to have a chat with Miranda who said that it was her fairytale wedding!

There was definitely some blood, sweat and tears (literally). We worked our butts off, but it was all worth it in the end to see the whole thing come together AND because we got to attend the reception/concert/best party I've ever been to! We were lucky enough to be featured in US Weekly, People Country, and Country Weekly!!! We were responsible for all of the ceremony decor and all of the floral arrangements including ceremony and reception. Hope you guys enjoy some of the amazing pics!!!

Check out the pics here: Robert Evans Photography Blog

we're married!

I completely failed at blogging at all before the wedding - I wanted to keep a lot of the details under wraps and so much was going on that I didn't have any time to blog anyways. Work was crazy and so was all the chaos of moving, settling into the new place and making sure everything was ready to make the trip to Louisville. I will blog later about all the details leading up to the day but I didn't want to leave everyone hanging forever! I have a few sneak peek pics from my amazing photographer and cannot wait to see the rest! Everyone says that the day of the wedding is a blur but honestly the days leading up to it were a blur and the day of was very calm and relaxed.

When it came time to see Matt for the first time I was so calm. I stood in the ceremony area and he came up behind me - I had never felt so at peace. I turned around and saw my handsome groom and he looked even better than I imagined. BUT he was shaking and tearing up - I couldn't stop smiling, I just wanted to get the show on the road and get married!!!



There were quite a few little bumps in the road leading up to the big day that kind of made me lose it, but the day of went smoothly (as far as I know!). I will tell you that there are a lot of things I would have done differently and things I would have changed but it is over now and all that matters is that we are married. I think the fact that I work in the wedding industry made things not as "fairy tale" as they are to others. I just expect a lot and have seen lots of weddings so it was hard for me when it came to my wedding. The best part of the wedding was the ceremony because everyone was there for us and we became husband and wife!!!

The only thing that I can't get over is the fact that there were a lot people that were not able to be there. That is the biggest regret I have is having it on a Friday and at the beginning of summer. A lot of people were out of town on vacation or couldn't get in town because it was a Friday. A lot of people left earlier than I thought they would and a lot of people that said they were coming weren't there. A lot of people that I really wanted to be there - that hurt the most. I was looking forward to having the special people in my life to be there for my big day. It is just hard when this is my life, being in the wedding business and the fact that I have been planning for my wedding since I was in the womb!!! It is hard when it is not your "dream" wedding.

I feel bad because I feel like I am supposed to say that it was. Don't get me wrong I had a lot of fun and I am now married to the love of my life and best friend, but things didn't play out like I saw it in my head. BUT I over analyze everything anyway! I had a TON of fun dancing with my closest friends and my parents. I really think my parents had a great time and that honestly matters more to me than anything else. They have sacrificed so much for me to have such a great life and a great future! My dad was a dancing machine, it was so fun to watch him let loose!
Ok, that is enough of my nonsense! I hope to blog again soon about more of the details!! Cheers!

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's Wedding

Ok, so I promised that I would blog about the wedding and all the wonderful details but I will have to wait for a while for all of the pics and details to come out through the media. We were told we have to keep it on the DL for now. BUT, when it comes time I will be sure to share with you a day by day breakdown of my amazing opportunity and involvement in the Shelton's wedding!

For those of you who don't know - the florist I work for was chosen to do all the florals for Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's wedding and I GOT TO GO and work my butt off! It was completely worth it though! Sorry I have been MIA for a while, I was gone to Texas for the wedding for a week and have been crazy busy with work since I got back - not to mention miserable with nasty allergies! Hope to be back on the blogging trail soon! In the meantime go out and get yourself a copy of Us Weekly to see some of our floral work and ceremony decor! In honor of the country cuties, cheers - with a glass of whiskey on the rocks...

getting close!

I have been absent once again, it is becoming an issue. Once I get home from work the only thing I feel like doing is making dinner and going to sleep! And I never know if people really read this nonsense so I feel like no one is really missing anything if I blog - if you are a reader and don't follow me leave me some love in my comment box!

Last week I got the call that my dress was in so I packed up some wedding stuff and headed home to see the beauty! I was very anxious because I had not lost that much weight and I am still not satisfied with the way I look so I was afraid I would not like the way I looked. I am excited to say that as of today I have lost 12 lbs and 3.5 inches off my waist in about a week and a half!!! I am very proud of myself and I hope that it keeps coming off!!! OK, back to the dress - sorry I get side tracked very easily! I knew that the dress would need to be hemmed for sure and that there would be some other minor changes as well so I went into the fitting knowing that my dress was not going to look the way it will on the wedding day. The dress that I tried on was not the same color that I ordered so when I walked into the fitting room (with HUGE mirrors on every wall! eek!) there was my beautiful WHITE WHITE dress hanging in all its glory! My mom and I were so excited to see it again in person, it has been six months since we had seen it last! It looked a little different but I remembered it ( I can't lie - I looked at it probably at least once a week since we purchased it) but I was surprised at the color. I wanted to wear white I just didn't realize it would be this white! It has a sheen to it - so it kinda glimmers in the light so its not a flat white.

The owner of the store is the one who did the fitting and she is so great, I was glad that she was there to do it. I slipped into the dress and she started lacing it up in the back and I can just see the panic in my mom's eyes - she starts to freak cause she thinks she is not going to be able to lace it up the day of the wedding so I see her studying what Sher (the owner) is doing, then she starts asking a million questions and all the sudden became a paparazzi!!! And if you know me, I do not like random pictures of me taken AT ALL - I HATE it, I like to know when you are taking a picture and at what angle - I hate candid photos! So here she is clicking away and I am not even all the way laced up! Gotta love her though!

So I am standing on this little wooden box in my wedding shoes that are not that tall but when you are standing on a small wooden box in one spot for like ten minutes straight your ankles start to throb! Finally it is laced up and I am in it and to my surprise it is quite a bit too big! I was relieved, but a little disappointed because it did not look the way I wanted it to. Since I have been losing weight they are not going to take it in until my next fitting which will be my last I believe, so hopefully once it is all said and done it will look fab and fit like a glove. So we looked at and stared at it and walked around a little and then I got back up on the box and she started to pin the hem. Wow, I knew I was short (somewhere between 5"1 and 5"3), but she jacked that hem up - you could have made a reception dress out of the fabric they are going to cut out of it! So that took a while and I just stood and my mom continued to ask questions and take pics.

Then when everything was pinned up we got out my veil and feather fascinator and attempted to make it look right - we have been having issues with the veil, it does not want to behave! Sher got it to look pretty good and my mom was making her show her how she did it and then took more pics of it in my hair so she can remember...

So that was my dress fitting experience. While we were there we picked up the rest of the bridesmaid dresses to deliver to the out of town girls - it was my first time seeing them and they looked great and I still love them too! All the guys have been fitted for their tuxes and I just picked up the girls shoes, I immediately made Haley (Matt's younger sister and my roommate)try on the whole ensemble and it looked great!!! I was worried that the shoes would not go well with the dresses cause I got them online without seeing them or the dresses in person so I am so relieved that they go great together, I just hope everyone's shoes fit!

In other news I am mentally preparing myself for everything coming up at work, moving and the wedding. I have today off and possibly tomorrow then basically work almost everyday the rest of May - I have a big trip coming up for work that I leave for next week, we will be gone Tuesday through Sunday, we are headed to the Southwest and it is going to be hottttt!!! I am excited though, it is going to be some really cool floral work! Matt and his dad are going to be moving stuff into our first apartment while I am gone (very excited I don't have to do any heavy lifting for that, but I will be in 90 something degree weather so I don't feel too bad!)

Well that is all for now since I just wrote quite a bit for one day! Hope everyone in KY is getting excited for the Derby, wish I was able to partake in the festivities! I will cheers you with an invisible Mint Julep today!