Surprise!

Everyone has a different love language. I laugh because Brett and I really are so much alike, but our love languages are completely opposite. Brett's most prominent love language is acts of service, while mine is words of affirmation. I'm good with words, words are close friends of mine. Demonstrating my love for Brett with less chatter and more of a servants heart has been a stretch for me, but I'm always up for the challenge.

 It's just that it gets a little difficult when he finishes his master's degree. I want to shout to the world, "LOOK WHAT HE DID! CONGRATULATE HIM!" (which I did, by the way, via facebook), and Brett sits there saying, "Shhh Kayla it's no big deal..." Because my telling him how proud I am of him only went so far, the only solution was to throw him a surprise party. It was planned about a week in advance, so I was grateful that (almost) all of our family was able to come on such short notice to show Brett how proud they were of him! 

Brett was certainly caught off guard, but by the time he realized we were going to eat his favorite foods for dinner, he was good to go. We spent the evening eating dinner, sharing stories, fishing, and spending time around a bonfire. I think the whole night left Brett feeling admired, so it was a win! Thanks to everyone who came and made him feel adored!!

(Pardon the pictures with poor lighting...)

A Nautical Celebration

This past weekend we were able to celebrate the upcoming arrival of my nephew! This little man is planned to join us in just a few weeks, and my sister and I were excited to plan the party. And yes, I call it a party, because, let's face it, "showers" can be pretty boring. Anyway, we were grateful for our family and friends who took time out of their days to bless my brother and his sweet wife. Nothing is more wonderful than people who gather and pray boldly that this new life would one day surrender himself to our God. Here are a few pics from our Ahoy! It's a Boy! nautical celebration! Be sure to check back in in just a few short weeks to meet the latest addition!

**The silverware idea was courtesy of Pinterest. The "Crab Cake" was created by a friend at LinZcakes LLC. The punch is 4 parts Sprite with 1 part Strawberry Daiquiri mix.

Home Updates, Sweet Home Updates

A friend of mine tagged me in a post on my Pinterest account of a sign that says, "There are Four Seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Football."

 It makes me laugh when I think about how much my life has changed in the last two years, because I would have never thought that'd fit my future family so well! 

As an Indiana girl, I am grateful for each of those seasons. Sure, winter tends to overstay her welcome, but there's not a whole lot prettier than a fresh coat of snow. And I don't know what it is about Spring that makes me want to change everything in our home. It's the season when I stock up on home decor and repaint things I already have. And don't even get me started on deep cleaning...the thought of scrubbing every square inch of the place down makes my heart flutter like the first time a boy calls after the first date. It's practically magical.


So here are a few things I've done/am doing/hope to do sometime in the near future!

Let's start with the bird cage. I've looked for the perfect birdcage for years. I've stumbled across about a thousand of them, but they were never in my budget. So this year when we were on vacation, I found her. I wish I could tell  you I found her at some quaint antique store or an off the road flea market, because I think you would believe it was cool. But no, lo and behold, she was sitting on a shelf at Ross Dress for Less. And she was only $13. Hunter green was not my color, but she was nothing a little spray paint couldn't handle. 


I can't wait to bring her in and find her perfect place. It saddens me a little because she looks awesome out in the woods...I think the birds would really like her! But, it must be done!

Next is our bedroom. There is no "before" picture...just imagine the bed with nothing else. That's what it was.  This picture is just to show you the paint colors we (as if Brett had ANYTHING to do with this! ha!) picked out. The green shelf was originally just a piece of plywood from an old barn (aka Lowes...see, barns sound cooler than Lowes!). We painted it and I let Brett do the hanging of it...which was quite the story in and of itself. 


Then it was off to collect the perfect items to place on the shelf. The finalists were: the bottle of champagne from our wedding reception, a piece of art created by my sweet friend, Brooke, with our wedding date, a little globe that's so teeny and cute I just wanna tickle it, and a few other random belongings.

I DID, believe it or not, manage to find one precious canister from a thrift store! I love the colors, I love the content, and I love peanuts, so it had to be mine! As of now, it stays on the fireplace mantle, but I have high hopes for this piece.

My last two finds are both from Goodwill. The globe (courtesy of my sister, Kortney) stands next to Mr. Peanut on the mantle for now. I love the color intensity on this little guy! I may still spray paint the base, just because the muted silver is a little too predictable for me. Any color suggestions? I was thinking peacock blue or crayola red...we shall see. 

Last but certainly not least, this may be my favorite. I found this Tinplate Toy Company clock. This little guy contains images of vintage toy trucks, horse drawn carriage, airplanes, boats, and the list goes on. I don't know what I like most about him. Is it the colors? Is it because it's a clock (which I LOVE!)? Or is it because I could see this in a little boys nursery one day down the road? Who knows? Regardless, I'm glad he's mine.