MarytheKaytheBlog

I Sharpied My Dyeable Wedding Shoes

Okay, so not MY wedding shoes, per se.  But, my daughter's wedding shoes.  Wait a minute...that doesn't sound right, either.  I mean--the child is only 10-years-old.  Maybe this title is a little more accurate:

 

My daughter was a junior bridesmaid, and needed black shoes.  She already had some lovely ivory satin shoes that were perfect, so I decided to Sharpie them black.

 

Is that better?  But, whoa!  Way too long for a title, huh?  So, I'm sticking with my original title, and that's that.  Humph.

 

Here was the rub.  My daughter is very much like her mama, in that our feet grew early.  She already wears a shoe size 8.  An adult 8, thank you very much.  Have you looked at adult size 8 shoes in the fancy black style lately?  Well, they are all spikey heels, sophisticated--and waaaaay too grown up for a 9-year-old (at the time.)  Since she already had some cute ivory strappy low heels that she LOVED, I decided to work with that pair, and make them black.

 

Now, I didn't originally set out to Sharpie them.  I did like most normal people would have--I started asking around to find out where to dye shoes in town.

 

Only, here's the thing:  Sometimes I am lazy.  I knew if I was going to find a place to dye the shoes, I'd actually have to--you know, get in the car and take them somewhere.  And to top that off--I'd have to--you know, get BACK in the car and pick them up when completed.

 

Late one night I remembered my friend the Hollywood Housewife had written a post about dying one of her fancy purses, and using a Sharpie in the process.  I searched that particular post--and sure enough!  She Sharpied her designer purse.  I figured if she can Sharpie a designer purse, then surely I can Sharpie a non-designer pair of shoes!

 

I know you're DYING to see the shoes, aren't you?  (Get it--I said "dying"--like "dye-ing"--you got it?!!)  Oh, I just think I am sooo clever.

 

I'll be here all week, folks.

 

Here they are--the Sharpied Wedding Shoes of the Century!!!  (Well, or at least of last November...)

Well, what do you think?  I bet you can't even tell they are Sharpied, can you?  I will be honest...in the line up of bridesmaids, the Sharpied shoes were a tad paler than the others.  But, not obnoxiously so.  Plus--aren't they just the cutest 9-year-old junior bridesmaid shoes?

 

Want to see the finished product ON the cute junior bridesmaid?

Oops-ie daisy!  No shoes!!!  This was taken after all the wedding festivities were over.  They're still cute when they're tired, aren't they?  And a handsome daddy, too--in a tie!!!

There's the little junior, and IN her shoes this time!  Sorry about the squinty eyes.  I'm not a professional, ya know.  I'm sure a professional would think about things like squinty eyes and bright sunshine.  Not me, though.  All I could think of that day (besides the BEAUTIFUL bride), was how GROWN UP my sweet daughter looked that day.  It almost made me want to cry she looked so beautiful and grown up...  Okay, I admit it--I cried.  A little.

 

And, that is the story of how I Sharpied the wedding shoes.  The end.

 

Linked up with:

The Boardwalk Bragfest at Bobbypins Boardwalk

Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home

Strut Your Stuff Thursday at somewhat simple

Happy Memorial Day...and a WINNER!!!

(Scroll down for the giveaway winner)

 

I am 100% PATRIOTIC, and proudly fly the American Flag at our house 365 days a year.

During the Pledge of Allegiance and The National Anthem, I proudly place my right hand over my heart, taking to heart the words I am saying or singing. 

I do not tolerate my children acting silly during these solemn American traditions.  I want to instill in them a love and respect for our country.

The only reason I am able to fly a flag at our house, or teach my children to sing out The National Anthem is because men and women in our country have fought for that right.

Men and women who follow in the giant footsteps of our forefathers, great men like George Washington.

Today, I would like to honor these men and women who give their lives to our country, so that I might enjoy freedom.  Men and women, whose faces may be nameless to me...but to some, are called husband or son, wife or mother. 

Flickr image:  isafmedia

 

Flickr image: unc-cfc-usfk 

Flickr image:  Beverly & Pack

Flickr image:  us army africa

 With a heart full of gratitude, I am praying for you today, dear American soldiers, sailors, pilots, chaplains...and your families back home who miss you.

Thank you.

 

And a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to the winner of my Favorite Things GIVEAWAY...

I used Random.org to generate a random number from our list of Comments, and it picked #11  (so sorry, but I cannot figure out how to get the Random results posted here...newbie alert, newbie alert!!!)

 

Officially Following!

Posted by: Lacey | 05/26/2010 at 06:38 AM

Congratulations, Lacey!!  Please e-mail me to claim your prize!

Thank you to all of you who joined in the fun in celebrating my 100th post!  Keep watching--I do have some fun giveaways planned in the near future!  Wha Hoo!!!

Linky Dinks: Summer's Here!!!

Happy Weekend, bloggie friends!  First of all, a HUGE THANK YOU for those of you that participated in my Favorite Things Giveaway!!!  Seriously, it just warmed my heart with all of your very kind comments.  Thank you, really.

 

Can you feel your brain slowing down for summer yet?  Now that school's out (academy, preschool, and homeschooling!!), and all the extra-curricular classes have ended, my brain has definitely clicked down a few gears.  I know that we were too busy this year...and I plan to make some positive changes for our family this fall.  But, for now--we are going to ENJOY summer's slower pace!

 

In celebration of summer, I have included some FUN SUMMER-ish LINKS below!  Enjoy!! 

 

I found some really cool ideas for sweet gifts--my favorite kind!!  I have to give credit to a tweet by Organizing Junkie for the find, though! 

How about some adorable Fakesicles!  Wouldn't these be the coolest summer party favors?  I haven't ever noticed individual popsicle molds in the store, have you?  But, I've never really looked for them...I will now!

Do you have any friends or family who have birthdays this summer, but live far away?  Why not send them a cupcake in the mail?  I LOVE LOVE this idea!!!

Summer picnics?  Barbeques?  Make sure you have a great cooler to take to these events.  Do you have an old, sad, faded cooler that has seen better days?  I LOVE this idea at House of Hepworths.  Click to see how you can have a Cooler Cooler!  (I'm not sure I'd go to all the trouble of hand-painting my name...I think I'd have to order some Uppercase Living vinyl letters...and embellishments!!)  While you're on HoH's site, check out her posts--and pics--of attending the American Idol FINALE!!!

DON'T MISS THIS LINK:

Would you like a summer project with your kids that DOES SOME GOOD?  Oh, how I LOVE this idea!!!  Using pillowcases to dress the poor.  I can hardly look at the picture of these dear, dear little girls without both smiling and tearing up.

 

Now, go click the air conditioner down a degree, remove your sassy flip flops, prop up your feet, and enjoy some bon bons...cause the weekend's here!!!

 

Friday Fun Facts: Summer Fun Edition

I don't know about you, but summer to me--suburban white girl that I am--means Rap Music: loud, and lots of it!

Flickr image: Stephen Barnett

 Scratching your head?  I've debated back and forth many times whether or not to share about our family's summer adventures...and I decided it would be very difficult to write a blog about life, and not include what we do.

And what we do is work with an urban summer camp.  Urban, as in city kids who are as comfortable singing rap and dancing hip hop as I am playing classical music, and dancing awkwardly with a white man's overbite (name that movie) to 80's music.

When those 2 worlds collide...you get my life...every summer.

And after 10+ years of doing this, I still may not be able to dance hip hop (in public, at least)--but my daughters sure can!  And, that fact, makes me SMILE...and also tap my foot, and groove along, as much as an awkward white girl can...

I'm sure I'll share lots more about our experiences here at camp this summer.  Absolutely amazing things happen here every single summer.  In fact, just yesterday, I got to visit with a young man that just BLEW ME AWAY with his life story.  And his life story is just getting started.  I can only imagine the great places he is heading!

It is inspiring to work at a place that helps change lives.  It also is hysterically funny sometimes, and exhausting and emotionally draining. 

That is actually my answer to QUESTION #1 of our little Friday Fun Facts Quiz--Summer Fun Edition! 

And, without further adieu, here are the questions I would LOVE to hear your answers!!!

 

Flickr image: stevendepolo

1.  What does summer mean to you?

(see my answer above)

2.  Favorite summer activity? 

(Swimming!  I LOVE the water, and have since I was a girl.  I don't get to swim  as often as I like...but when I do, I am reminded of the freedom I feel swimming deep beneath the water's surface.)

3. Summer treat that says "summer" to you?

(Hands down--homemade ice cream!!!  Good old fashioned vanilla, please!)

4.  Favorite summer memory growing up?

(Traveling to my grandparents' in Florida and all of the adventures our family got to experience there!  Also, I remember just the slower pace and spending lots of time playing outside into the evening hours...playing kick the can, or catching fireflies...)

5.  Did you have a summer job growing up?

(I started working at my dad's medical office when I was 16.  It was such a great experience learning how to work in an office, and getting to know the ladies there.  Plus, it was fun getting to see my dad at work...and sneaking mints out of his desk every day!)

6.  What does your family do for fun in the summer?

(See #1 above...  Because our family works and lives at a summer camp, we get to do things and experience things we never would otherwise.  We love getting out in a boat as a family.  Both of our girls have learned to water ski at a young age, and both love hot dogging it on the inner-tube.  One of our family's fun little traditions is that we almost never get out in the boat, that we don't drive to a marina for a cold popsicle treat!)

7.  What smells remind you of summer?

(Honeysuckle--please tell me you all have tasted honeysuckle right off the vine!!, chlorine, freshly-mown grass)

 

I can stop at 7, can't I??  It's my blog, right?!

Here are the questions, so you can copy them easier into Comments for your answers!  And PLEASE ANSWER!!!  I really would LOVE to hear about YOUR summer fun!!

1.  What does summer mean to you?

2.  Favorite summer activity?

3.  Summer treat that says "summer" to you?

4.  Favorite summer memory growing up?

5.  Did you have a summer job growing up?

6.  What does your family do for fun in the summer?

7.  What smells remind you of summer?

There you go!  Now, let's REVEL in the sights and sounds of summer as we read each other's answers!!

Happy summer, ya'll!

Oh, and TODAY'S the last day to sign up for my Favorite Things GIVEAWAY!!! 

 

Summer's Slower Pace

Today, I noticed it.

I have been feeling restless all day long, and couldn't figure out why.

Walking across a grassy field, holding my daughter's sticky hand, with no real destination in mind, I noticed it.  I could hear the swishing of the grass beneath our feet, the flip flipping of my daughter's sandals.  The distant sound of a song playing.  I could feel the late afternoon sun shining on the back of my hair and shoulders.  I could smell the subtle honeysuckle, along with the sweat and sand on my daughter.

In that moment, I felt quiet.  Quiet on the inside.  Even though beside me my daughter was chatting away about her day, my mind was still.  It wasn't racing to the next event, or raging at the thought of being late.

I felt quiet, and peaceful. 

I smiled in that moment.  Summer.  This is what summer feels like!

The slower pace.  The appreciation of the small things.  Conversations about butterflies and bugs.  The exploring of creeks and shorelines.  The hand-holding on long walks.  Recognizing the small moments.  Sno cone juice dripping down a chin.  Sand sticking to chubby legs.  Chasing fireflies and catching turtles.  Hanging up swimsuits that smell of chlorine and sunshine.

Oh, summer!  How I've needed you, and didn't even know it.  How my daughters have needed it...by needing me.  A better me.  A slower, and more aware me.  A more engaged me.  Giggly and playful, with no lists to follow, nowhere to be--the kind of me I long to be.

The summer me!

How is your "summer me" different from your "regular me"?

 

 

Oh, and did you hear about my first GIVEAWAY???  Click here to find out!!!

100th Post Celebration and a Favorite Things GIVEAWAY!!!

Well, boy howdy, and whadda ya know?  It is MarytheKay's 100th Post--yippie kai-yay, little doggies.  Git yer cowboy hats on and yer dancing boots, too--cause there's gonna be a little celebration here today!  Yee Haw!

No, I have absolutely no idea why this is suddenly a Cowgirl kind of blog.  That's the thing about this blog--you never know what you're going to get each time you clickity click.  I like to think that is part of my mysterious allure...  But, in reality, I never know what character or voice is going to pop into my brain.  I just try to go with the flow, and not upset the muses too much.  (HA!  I am giggling at myself right now.  Mysterious allure, muses??? The only alluring muse I have is perhaps my Coca Cola and whatever snack is sitting on the table beside me.  Tonight, it's sort-of stale popcorn, which was popped about 4 hours ago.)

Oh, but back to the 100th Post Celebration!!!  About 3 1/2 months ago, I decided that turning 40 was a time to make some positive changes and reach for a dream.  That dream was writing more...in the form of this blog!  I really want to celebrate today because I am LOVING the practice of daily writing.  The best part of the writing has been the community I have found here.  It just blesses my little heart to receive a comment from you!  Or, just to see that someone has even read my little blog.  Thank you.  Really.

To commemorate this 100th post, I would love to host my first-ever giveaway!  Now, don't get your hopes up--I am no Pioneer Woman.  There won't be anything in my giveaway starting with the little letter "i."   Remember, this is MarytheKay, who does things nifty-thrifty and on a budget.  As a way to celebrate some of my favorite posts, I thought it would be fun to give away some of the "Favorite Things" I have written about.  Okay, and also it's a shameless way to nudge you to read some of those posts, in case you haven't.  (Trying to keep it real here!)

Disclaimer for you mathematically-minded people who can actually count:  I just realized that my blog "higher powers" count each post that I write and save...I have a couple saved, which have not been published, that I think are in that "100" count.  If I were so inclined, I could go and physically count all of my published posts, to see if this is correct, and then plan which is the actual date to celebrate.  But, it's only a couple of days' difference--so who cares, right?  Who wants to count to 100, right?  LET'S PARTY instead!!

Enough talkie talk, here's the loot!!!

BEHOLD!!!  MarytheKay's Favorite Things!

1.  Collapsible Mesh Laundry Basket - That little blue and white beauty in the background is from my post Ahhh! Organized Travel Tips

2.  Non-Slip Shelf Liner - That tan rolled up bunch of goodness is from ARGH! Transporting Food with Dignity

3.  Oh yes, mam, that is OPI Nail Polish! - (An Affair in Red Square, if you must know) If you want to see my ugly toes, you have to click on Favorite Things: Pretty Summer Toes

4.  The Exquisite Glass Jar - The one so many of you have asked about is described in loving detail in Wal-Mart Love:  Cool and Creative Teacher Gifts

5.  The Red Canning Funnel - From the post that skyrocketed my brother-in-law to instant fame (or was it the other way around?) How to Make Killer Salsa

6.  The Cat in the Hat Step Into Reading Book - From 3 Tricks to Help Your Child Learn to Read

7.  The Pack of Cellophane Bags - I have used them in several posts, but most recently gushed about them in Sonic Happies:  Creative and Thoughtful Gifts

8.  Haribo Gold-Bears Gummi Bears - Oh, it will be hard to part with these little sweeties.  You'll find out why in Happy Tuesday

9.  Quaker Peanut Butter Chewy Dips - Okay, so I haven't written about them yet...but I should have.  Just keeping ya on your toes.  Eating one is like eating a pure delicious candy bar--only healthy.  It is healthy, right?  Please say yes.

10-13  All wrapped up in the pretty yellow tissue and cellophane bag?  Well, my dearies, those are the SURPRISE BONUS! gifts that are 4 new Favorite Thingsthat I have yet to write about!!!  After a winner is picked, I will reveal those 4 items in a Favorite Things post!  Want a teensy tiny hint?  Cause I'm not good at keeping gifts secret...2 of the items are from the Health and Beauty aisles, tra la la!!!
 

Want to see everything all packed up in the mesh basket?  Oh, how I love these baskets...

Okay, DETAILS--you want details? 

This giveaway contest will end Friday, May 28th at 8pm, Pacific Time.  At that time, the comments will close.  I mean--feel free to continue signing up as a Follower...*grin*...but, you can't enter the giveaway...*frown*

Here's how to enter:  (1) Sign up as a "Follower" over on the right-hand column. (2) Then, leave a comment telling me you signed up!  If you're already a Follower (and thank you very much!) leave a comment telling me this.

UPDATE:  Time's up!  Thank you SO MUCH for those that participated!!  Come back Monday morning to find out the WINNER of my Favorite Things!!!  Happy Weekend, Ya'll!

From those comments, I will use a random generator, and will announce the winner on Monday morning--in honor of Memorial Day! 

In case the FTC or the BBB or the IBC are monitoring my blog...I should disclose that all of these products are purchased from my very own hard-earned cash.  My husband would tell you it's his cash, but since this is my blog he doesn't get a say.

So, clickity click--and good luck to you!!!

Linked up with:

The Boardwalk Bragfest at Bobbypins Boardwalk

Works For Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family

Woo Hoo Wednesday at Always Nesting

Penny Pinching Party at The Thrifty Home

Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple

Show off Your Stuff at Fireflies and Jellybeans

Giveaway Link Up at Extreme Personal Measures

I'm Lovin' It at TidyMom

Happy Tuesday

Yesterday I wrote about some last-minute gifts that I called Sonic Happies.

You know what else makes me happy?

My favorite candy in the whole wide world!!

Gummi Bears!!!!  And by Gummi Bears, I DO MEAN Haribo Gold-Bears--the Original!

You know what else makes me happy?

When my favorite product TEAMS UP with another favorite of mine...

For example:  Haribo Gummi-Bears + Coca Cola =   ???

Oh yeah!   Would you care for some HAPPY COLA on this Happy Tuesday?

Delicious!  And nutritious!

And, because I love 3's...would you like to know the 3rd thing that makes me happy?

A sick little girl, who gets a little happy treat from the pharmacy...and GRINS!!  (Despite feeling very puny...)

Sure makes me want to go out and buy 2 more packages of these for that sweet face...

I think it was the Haribo Gummis that made her start feeling all better, and not the antibiotics...What do you think?

What makes YOU HAPPY on this Happy Tuesday?  I'd sure love to know!!!

Sonic Happies: Creative and Thoughtful Little Gifts

Just today I needed some last-minute gifts for our daughter's choir teachers.  I love to be able to give small, thoughtful gifts to the adults who help with our church's children's musical.  Somehow, I had forgotten all about these gifts...until THIS MORNING--the MORNING of THE MUSICAL.   AAAHHHHHH!!  Sometimes, I really wonder what is wrong with my feeble brain.

The quickest thing I could think of was a $5 gift card from Sonic.  Because WHO doesn't like Sonic???  And, in my world, Sonic = Happy. 

 

(Is Starbucks more your style?  Check out this Quick & Easy way to wrap up a Starbucks gift card!)

In order to help the Sonic gift card look more thoughtful and creative...you know--to AMP IT UP a little...I thought it would be fun to place the card inside a small Sonic cup and wrap it in a clear cellophane bag.

Stick around here a while, and you'll find that I use these bags for everything!

Quickly, I printed up some colorful gift tags that said,

"Thanks a 'TOT' for helping with our choir!"

(Update:  My niece used this idea for her school teacher, and chose to use this cute phrase:  "Thanks for all you 'TOT' me this year!")

I punched a hole in the corner of each, and slid them into a ziploc bag.  (An easy way to print these creative gift tags is with MS Word, using the insert "Word Art" feature.  I used the rainbow-colored template to type out my message.  After sizing my message to the size I wanted on the page, I copied it, and pasted it 5 more times down the page.  Literally, this took me 60 seconds to create and 60 seconds to print.)

I gathered some yellow ribbon, cut into appropriate lengths, and slid those along with some cellophane bags into the same ziploc.

I also thought it would be fun to have some colorful M&Ms in the bottom of the Sonic cup, for the gift card to rest on top.  (If I'd had some Hershey's Kisses, I would have LOVED putting those in the cups.  M&Ms are what I had on hand, so that's what I used.)

Here's a pic of my very-quickly gathered supplies to take in the car with me to Sonic:

At Sonic, I ordered 6 $5 gift cards, along with 6 small cups and straws, and 2 empty bags.  It took 2 tries to get Mr. Sonic to understand what I was asking.

I began assembling those puppies right there in the Sonic parking spot!

First, I plopped a handful of M&Ms in the bottom of each cup, then placed the gift card on top.

Then, I put on the lid, slid in a Sonic's happy red straw, placed the cup into the cellophane bag, and tied on the yellow ribbon and gift card.

Voila!  You have zee Sonic Happy!!!  Doesn't zees just make you SMILE?

I placed the 6 Sonic Happies into empty Sonic sacks to transport them into church.  I sure did notice lots of glances toward my Sonic sacks.  I think they were wondering if I was transporting TOTS into church!  Yum Yum, me love tots!!

There you have it!  A QUICK, CREATIVE, THOUGHTFUL and INEXPENSIVE gift idea! 

 Those are my 4 favorite words when it comes to gift-giving!  How about you? 

To enter the GIVEAWAY, click here!!!

Linked up with:

The Sunday Showcase Party at Under the Table and Dreaming

Made it Monday at The Persimmon Perch

Motivate Me Monday at Keeping it Simple

DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land

Toot Your Horn Tuesday at A Silly Little Sparrow

Linky Dinks: Edition I'm Tired

Hey Hey Bloggity Land...Will you forgive me if I don't have fabulously creative links this week?  Okay, who are we kidding?  Are my links ever fabulously creative???  Well, maybe don't answer that question.

Because I'm ti-red.  And my baby is sick.  And if you're not nice, I might cry.

Not really.  I'm not much for the public display of crying.  I'm more of an on the pillow in my bed cry-er.  Not that you needed to know that.  See?  I'm so tired that my filter isn't properly working.  Maybe I shouldn't be left alone with a keyboard and a blog.  Who knows what I'll confess next?!

Like how my shorts are tight right now...so I just un-did them to be more comfortable.  A girl shouldn't be wearing confining shorts this time of night.  This time of night is made for stretchy cotton not confining denim.

See?  I am stopping right now.  No more embarrassing confessions.

Instead, I thought I would just list a few blogs that I really love.  Some of these bloggers I know in real life.  Others, I am convinced in my brain that they would just LOVE to get to know me...so I leave funny little comments on their posts and Twitter streams.  Persistence pays off, right?

Or, sometimes, it puts you in jail because it is called "Stalking."

But, I am a friendly, encouraging kind of blog stalker.

So--join in on my friendly blog stalking and leave these nice folks a "howdy do!" on their comments. 

www.thebigmamablog.com   She makes me laugh EVERY TIME.

www.hollywoodhousewife.com  I feel nearly famous that I know the housewife behind the hollywood

www.ihategreenbeans.com  If you watch The Bachelor/ette, you have GOT to read her blog!  Now, I'm not saying I watch...But, if I *did* I would totally read her blog...

www.stuffchristianslike.net  Oh my word, he is a funny, funny man.

www.thepioneerwoman.com  If you haven't heard of her, come out from under your rock...

www.wearethatfamily.com  Love her--she's funny, she's serious, she's real.

www.carissalil.blogspot.com  Cause she's my friend, and she makes me laugh in REAL life!!

There!  That's enough Linky Dinks so as not to appear lame, isn't it???

Now, go get your bon bons out of the cupboard, and begin your weekend couch time! 

Happy Weekend, Ya'll!

Friday Flashback...22, 21, 20 Years Ago

 22 years ago my grody ole big brother brought a girl home from college.

And he didn't bring girls home.

He brought sweaty guys who played basketball and Atari Space Invaders, and raided our fridge for leftover pizza and Popsicles.

But, this time he brought a girl.  A girl my sister and I couldn't get enough of.  We instantly bonded with her, sitting cross-legged on our bed until late-night, questioning her all about college and our big brother.  From that first moment, we loved her.

And we loved our big brother even more, for bringing someone like her home.  Someone like her into our family.

Oh, I might call him my grody ole big brother.  But, I couldn't love him any more, or be more proud to call him brother.  (But, don't tell him--I can't ruin my naggy little sister reputation!)

21 years ago, he polished up my Great Aunt Mae's engagement ring, stuffed it into his pocket, and made his specialty dinner--spaghetti.  (Okay, I think that was the only dinner besides scrambled eggs he did make!)

Oh, I'm sure there were tears.  And most assuredly some goober-faced grinning on my brother's part.  But, there was also a BIG YES!!! 

And so began the wedding planning.  Bride dress shopping, bridesmaid fabric selecting, china shopping (Exactly how many sets? Was it 4 or 5??), flower selecting, invitation addressing, and parties--beautiful, dress-up fine china parties.

Our extended families met, and began spending time together at parties and holidays.  Our family saw why we loved her so much--her family was wonderful, too!  We began to think of them as family.

20 years ago--this week--the big day arrived.  All the girls in both families crowded together in that church bathroom, and let me tell you--there was a cloud of hairspray so think you almost couldn't see all the combs teasing hair and sparkly eye shadow being applied. 

And, oh, the bride!  Her dress was a fairytale.  It had a gauzy overlay of the finest lace, sparkling with tiny iridescent sequins.  I can almost still hear the swishy sound it made as she walked.

All of the guys were crowded into their church bathroom, doing whatever it is a bunch of guys do before weddings--eat hamburgers and punch each other in the arm? 

It was time...the pipe organ began its first regal tones...the double doors opened...

And there stood my tall, handsome big brother, escorting our Gram to her seat.  I can only imagine what she said to him as he walked her down the aisle.  He always did hold a very special place in her heart.  I can't imagine how proud she was that day.  Her John was getting married.

Our other Gram was there, too.  I'm sure she told John how proud she was...she wasn't one to hold back words, or opinions.  How wonderful to have both Grams there to see their youngest grandson get married.

 

Beneath all that hair and spray, are two sisters who were SO excited to be gaining a new big sis!  She might as well be a sister--she looks just like us!

And, in a moment of reverence and celebration

My grody ole big brother became a husband, and his wife Gina officially became my sister!

Happy 20th Anniversary, Bubba and Gina Beana!  I love you both dearly.