Sunday, December 20, 2009

love is in the details.

A few weeks ago I flew to DC to host a bridal shower for my beautiful big sister. We had the shower on a Friday night at an amazing restaurant in Old Town Alexandria. The food was delicious and it was wonderful to spend the evening with so many of Jenn's wonderful friends. Bridal showers are one of my favorite parts of getting ready for a wedding. It is such a special time to be surrounded by great friends and relatives and celebrate this special time for the bride.

Get ready because I have LOTS of pictures from the shower. I wanted to be able to show all of you the little details. I'll do another post all about my new favorite Etsy shops that I discovered during the planning!

For place cards, I bought clear plastic frames at Michaels that were only $0.99 each. I sprayed them with a few coats of chalkboard paint and bought small plastic easels for them to sit on. I thought they looked a little plain so I added ribbon to the top of each one. I think they turned out pretty cute!


Jenn's place setting



The sign-in table.


I set the table up with one of their stunning engagement pictures and the cross-stitch that I gave them as an engagement gift. The little sign was another picture frame from Michael's. I gave it a few sprays of chalkboard paint and think that it was a sweet touch to the table. The guest book is from Paper-Source as well as the name tags.


The mantle



One of the arches in front of the wine room.


The room was so pretty!


Cocktail time!


The ladies opening their favors (more on those later!)


Since it was a date night shower, I wanted their favors to go along with the theme. I found an Etsy shop that makes cute little pocket mirrors. I gave one to each girl so they could use them on their own date nights.

Presents!



My place setting (I accidentally wrote maid instead of matron but didn't want to mess it up by erasing)


The cake table and one of the shower invitations.





One of Jenn's bridesmaids, Lily, recreated one of Jenn and Jason's first dates. SO thoughtful!


All of the girls


The bride with our Aunt Mary. She took a day off from work and flew from Texas with my mom just to be at the shower. It was so special to have her with us to celebrate! 


Two sets of sisters


Jason stopped by as we were leaving.


The day after the shower we went out to brunch and did some shopping in Old Town. We were lucky enough to see some beautiful snow! The shower was the weekend that it snowed in Houston so Mom and Aunt Mary were excited to get to see snow in DC since they missed it back home.

Wonderful sister. Amazing friend. Beautiful bride.


Two of my favorite women in the whole world. 



This is one of my new favorite pictures. 



Monday, December 7, 2009

thanksgiving recap.


I realize that I am very behind with my blogging, but I am going to do my best to catch up and get back on track... starting with a Thanksgiving recap.

As I am sure most of you know, we spent the Thanksgiving holiday back in Texas. We had a wonderful week spending time at home with our families. We enjoyed two delicious Thanksgiving meals, one with my mom's side of the family and another with the Kruegers. We also managed to squeeze in some Black Friday shopping and wedding planning!

Checking out their wedding venue!


B2B and MOH


Out to dinner with the Krueger gang


Pops and I baked a delicious apple pie from scratch. It was a huge hit and we will be making another for Christmas. 


With one of the *two* amazing turkeys that my dad made.
  

I don't think the really wanted me in the picture...


Oh how I wish I didn't have to wait a year for another feast like this!


Jenn with sweet Amelia Rose.


My turn with the sleeping babe.


The whole gang!


Our first Thanksgiving as Mr. and Mrs. 



And in non-Thanksgiving news...

Happiest of birthdays to the lovely Ivy Ruths! I hope your birthday is wonderful and that you have a great time celebrating tonight! Can't wait to see you and your hubby very soon!



Monday, November 23, 2009

yep, i'm still here!

It seems as though I have turned into the world's worst blogger. I am going to do my best to not get so behind again!

We have had a busy few weeks here. I have been working a lot and last week we had Kyle's folks here to visit. Enjoy the photo recap of what we have been up to lately...



One of our favorite new date night locations is a comedy club down the street. A few weeks ago Aisha Tyler was in town so we were able to not only enjoy her show but meet her.



On November 8 we celebrate 8 years of being Kyle and Stephanie. We had a great dinner at a wonderful seafood restaurant in Midtown.


Kim and I on our way to brunch. We wanted a picture with some pretty fall leaves!


While Kyle's parents were here, we went to Amicalola Falls at the state park.


The newlyweds at the falls.


The Rockets played the Hawks here last week so we headed to the game to support our hometown. We didn't end up winning, but it was a great game and I got to wear the jersey of my favorite Rockets player, Hakeem the dream! Yes, I coordinated my purse, headband and shoes with the team colors. Is anyone surprised??


In other news, I am still loving my job. I am starting to take lots of bridal appointments and on Saturday I SOLD MY FIRST DRESS!! I know it doesn't sound like a very big deal, but it was worth celebrating in my book! Brides usually need several appointments before they are ready to commit to a gown, but this bride bought a dress in our very first appointment. She was so sweet and is actually having a vow renewal with her husband. They eloped in February after putting off their wedding because of health problems. They are planning their dream wedding in the mountains and I helped her find the perfect dress. Kyle and I celebrated the grand occasion with dinner at Pappasito's!

We are packed and ready to head to Texas for Thanksgiving. We'll be leaving for the airport in less than an hour and I am more than ready! I'm not sure how much updating I'll do during the week, but I'll certainly be back soon with pictures from our week at home!

I hope you all have wonderful Thanksgiving holidays, filled with good food, wonderful friends and family, and lots of thanks for the blessings in your life. Cannot wait to hear about how all of you will be celebrating!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

my holiday requests.

For the last few years my mom has requested that my sister and I create somewhat of a Christmas wish-list. For some reason I am having a tricky time with it this year. Truth is, I have a longer list of 'holiday requests' rather than items that I would like to see under our Christmas tree. Here are a few of the things I am hoping to eat/drink/enjoy over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

  • My dad's egg nog. I am not a fan of regular egg nog at all but my dad makes the yummiest stuff you'll ever have!
  • A shopping trip with the fam. I don't even care if I buy anything, I just love spending the day shopping and having lunch with my family. (Yes, my dad is included in this one. He isn't a major shopper but almost never passes up a trip with his girls!)
  • Fresh, homemade apple pie. My Grammy makes a pretty incredible pecan pie but my dad and I are apple pie professionals.
  • Mani/pedi with Mom and Jenn, followed by lunch at the famous Sandy McGee's! 
  • ESCALANTE'S! I cannot tell you people how badly I miss this restaurant and everything about it. I am more than okay with enjoying this treat in November and December.
  • I'm not sure what movies are coming out soon, but I would love to go see a super girly one with any gal pals that would like to join. I try not to drag Kyle to these movies so I have to take advantage of the opportunity while I am home.
  • This last one should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway. I cannot wait to spend time with my family and friends back in Texas. 
I'll be back tomorrow with pictures from our anniversary date and the evening we spent with Aisha Tyler! 

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

wish list.

A few weeks ago I decided to start thinking about what I might want for Christmas. My mom always asks for a few suggestions so I decided to make note of anything that came to mind. Would you like to see the very first thing I thought of??

{image via target.com}

Yep. A hand-held vacuum is the first thing I could come up with. I was as shocked as the rest of you. I was feeling pretty lame for requesting one of these until I stumbled upon request number 2...



{image via jcrew.com}


J. Crew coats are the best and I think this would be the perfect new addition to my closet. Maybe I'll wear this pretty little thing while I use my vacuum. At least I'll feel lovely while I do my chores!

Is there anything on your wishlist that I should have my eye on?

Monday, November 2, 2009

ooooops.

It seems that I accidentally let an entire week go by without posting! By the time I get home at 6:30 I just want to have dinner, watch some tv shows, read all of your blogs and go to bed. Writing it all out like that made me realize how very un-cool it sounds!

Work is still going great. I am getting a lot more comfortable with knowing how to fill out dress orders and feel like I am starting to learn more about our dresses and designers. I'm sure I'll have all of the dress facts down perfectly by February... just in time for the new dresses to come in!

In other news, I didn't work at the shop on Friday but got called to sub in a pre-k class. It was such a great day! The class is one of two pre-k classes in a technology high school. I was filling in for the teacher's aide so I spent the day helping out instead of running the classroom. I loved the teacher that I worked with and the kids were great. We did tons of fun Halloween activities and the kiddos even got to have their faces painted. It is definitely a school that I would love to go back to.

I don't work a full day until Saturday this week, just a few hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. A girl at work gave me a list of her favorite restaurants in Atlanta so we may try one on Sunday to celebrate our anniversary (yep, we're still celebrating the original one even though we are old and married now!)

Last but not least, look at the sweetest new little member of our family. My cousin Kyle and his wife Olivia are now proud parents to this little lady. I do believe she will be stealing the show this Thanksgiving!




Monday, October 26, 2009

Psalm 126

The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.


We read this at church on Sunday and it has stuck with me. I took it as my little reminder to be thankful for the many blessings that fill my life with joy. So instead of writing paragraph upon paragraph about our weekend, enjoy this little list of things that have been bringing me lots of joy lately...

  • The beautiful weather that we had while walking to church on Sunday (and the tasty pumpkin spice I picked up on our way home)
  • Coming home to dinner on the table after working late on Friday (thanks Kyle!!)
  • Picking out invitations for the bridal shower I am hosting for Jenn.
  • Having a job that I enjoy.
  • Getting to know the girls at work! I've been waiting quite a few months to know some girls in this town... I'm enjoying every minute of it. 
  • Thinking about spending the holidays with our families.
  • Knowing that we will have a brand new little baby with us for Thanksgiving (my cousin, Kyle, and his wife are having their first baby in a few weeks!)
  • Finally feeling like I kind of know my way around this town (this will probably jinx me and I'll get lost tomorrow!)
  • Going to Six Flags Over Georgia (that will always sound strange to me) for Fright Fest. Kyle and I rode tons of rides and even indulged in a funnel cake treat.
  • Fall weather. I love it even more than I thought I would!
A few people have asked for the name of the store I am working at. If you're interested, you can email me at stephaniemariekrueger@gmail.com. I would love to tell all of my friends, real-life and blogging, I just don't want to put it up here and let the whole world know where they can find me :)


I hope the week got off to a great start for all of you!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

day one.

First off, thanks so much for all of the sweet words of congratulations! They all made me smile and were so thoughtful!

My first day of work was great! Kyle had breakfast with me before I took off and it was beyond beautiful outside. I met three of the girls that I will be working with and will meet everyone else tomorrow at our staff meeting. I learned so much that by the time I got home I was feeling slightly overwhelmed. There is definitely a lot to learn and I will be asking LOTS of questions! It is not at all like working at a store in the mall where we scan a price tag and the computer does the rest.

Here are a few of the things I now know how to do:

  • write up orders (both for regular purchases and wedding dresses)
  • check in new dresses that get delivered for brides
  • organize dresses that are waiting for fittings
  • contact designers 
  • take measurements
I still have a lot to learn about the wedding dresses that we sell. For each dress, I need to know the fabric, price, cut of the dress, the name of the dress and who designed it. I am not kidding when I say, I will be spending today and tomorrow studying wedding dresses! I much prefer this kind of studying to what I can see Kyle studying at his computer. 

I work again on Friday and then three days next week. I'll be working four days a week once November rolls around. I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the girls and getting more familiar with the shop. If any of you are ever in Atlanta and need to pick up a wedding dress, I'm your girl :) 


And in honor of my new job, here is one of my favorite pictures of my wedding dress...


Saturday, October 17, 2009

working girl.

Let me just start by saying, today has been a fantastic day. 


The biggest challenge I've had since moving to Georgia has been adjusting to a pretty empty weekly calendar. I went from student teaching five days a week, plus organizational meetings Sunday-Wednesday, to a pretty open schedule. It didn't bother me during the summer, because Kyle only had one meeting a week and we had a great time being completely lazy together. But since he has started school and I didn't find a teaching job, it has been a bit of a struggle. Don't get me wrong, I have loved getting to sleep in late and stay in sweatpants all day if I feel like it. I have just had my fill of those rather dull days. 


Well ladies and gentlemen, today I got a job! 


About a month ago my family came to visit and we took my sister to look at wedding dresses here in Atlanta. I fell in love with one of the shops we went to. All of the girls working there were great and it was a more relaxed bridal shop than most. I inquired about job openings and a week later sent in my resume. I had two interviews this week and today they called to offer me a full-time job. I could not be more excited!!


Like I said, the shop is really different from any wedding dress shops I have ever been to. In addition to the wedding dress side of things, it has a boutique attached to it. I'll start out working on that side of things and eventually transition to bridal. How fun is that?! I think it is going to be a great experience and am looking forward to my first day (Monday!). I am so excited to have something to fill my days with and to hopefully meet some great new people. 


I still hope to have my own classroom one day and to use everything I learned about working with children, but I know that this is going to be a wonderful experience.


Thanks for letting me share about our exciting day. We celebrated with a Starbucks trip this morning, fajitas for dinner and are about to enjoy cupcakes and a movie. I hope all of you have had wonderful weekends as well! Can't wait to share all about my first big day!

Friday, October 16, 2009

foodie friday: pumpkin cookies

Happy Friday friends!

Today's recipe is another Theta classic. The recipe makes a lot of cookies, definitely more than we need just for the two of us. If you're in the mood for a fall treat, these are definitely the perfect fit.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies


Sift together and set aside:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Beat until well-blended:
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 stick butter, softened

Add and beat until smooth:
1 cup canned pumpkin (the recipe called for Libby's pumpkin but I used some that I found at Whole Foods. Turns out there is a pumpkin shortage so I had a hard time finding any)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gradually add flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake at 350 fro 15-18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.



Drizzle with glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

My 'glaze' was a little thick so it was more frosting-like. You can adjust how much powdered sugar or milk to make the glaze whatever consistency you like. We're frosting fans here and Kyle isn't crazy about pumpkin flavored things (although he loves these cookies!) so I figured thicker was better for us.



Let me know if you try the recipe! Enjoy the weekend!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

over the top award.




The lovely Haley Sturgeon (a new aunt to a precious little baby boy!) passed this along to me so I hope you all enjoy. We haven't done anything very blog-worthy in the last few days, so I was excited to get this and have something to write about! Thanks Haley!

I accept and must answer these questions and pass on this award to 7 other bloggers everyone!

1. Where is your cell phone: I have no idea... I've looked everywhere and can't find it.
2. Your hair: in a pony tail
3. Your mother: in Texas :(
4. Your father: also in Texas
5. Your favorite food: fajitas!
6. Your dream from last night: I honestly don't remember
7. Your favorite drink: Diet Coke
8. Your dream/goal: to move back home to Texas and have a house and some kiddos (I'm ready for the Texas part now... not quite the kiddos). I would also like my sis to live next door.
9. What room are you in: living room
10. What is your hobby: shopping and playing piano (I'm still trying to figure out how we could shove a piano into our apartment)
11. What is your fear: losing loved ones
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years: Texas. Texas. Texas.
13. Where were you last night: at our apartment
14. Something you are not: sleepy... thanks to a stop at Starbucks
15. Muffins: blueberry
16. Wish List items: Size: 8 1/2 Color: Black
17. Where did you grow up: Richmond, Texas
18. Last thing you did: drove around Atlanta for about an hour trying to find Blockbuster (in case you're wondering, it's only about 10 minutes from our house...)
19. What are you wearing: jeans and a cozy, red J.Crew sweatshirt
20. Your TV: Desperate Housewives on Lifetime
21. Your pets: Our family dog back in Texas is named Rusty. He is a Tibetan Spaniel.
22. Your friends: delightful
23. Your life: blessed
24. Your mood: excited
25. Missing someone: my parents, sister, friends...
26. Vehicle: Audi convertible, her name is Sadie
27. Something your not wearing: shoes
28. Your favorite store: J.Crew and Nordstrom
29. Your favorite color: pink
30. When's the last time you laughed: a few minutes ago while watching tv
31. When's the last time you cried: Saturday (it was an 'I-miss-Texas' kind of day)
32. Your best friend: wonderful
33. One place you go over and over: Publix
34. One person who emails me regularly: My momma
35. Favorite place to eat? Pappasito's and Escalante's... wish we were eating at one of them tonight!

I am tagging.... anyone who wants to play along :)
 I know, not very exciting of me! I have several friends with private blogs or who have already been 'tagged' so I'm sharing this with anyone and everyone that would like to participate. Let me know if you do, I will definitely want to read it!

Also, Kelsey Smith is hosting a giveaway with some lovely pieces from a great Etsy shop. This is my fave:



Enjoy your evenings! I just made some pumpkin cookies and am off to see how they turned out. I'll share the recipe on Friday!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

better late than never.

Apparently I am about a week behind on the A-B-C trend. I missed out on doing it because of our trip to DC, so I'm playing along now.

A- Atlanta, Georgia is my new home while Kyle is in grad school. I miss something about Texas every single day, but love our new town. It is such a great experience for Kyle and I to be somewhere completely new at the beginning of our marriage.



B- When Kyle and I got married, I gained two brothers. I will be getting another one on August 21. (btw, they're all pretty awesome)





C- October marks the start of my favorite time of year, but my absolute favorite holiday is Christmas. I love the music and the cooler weather. I love how cheerful people can be and thinking of perfect gifts for loved ones. My mom decorates every inch of our home beautifully and it makes me so happy to come home to. It is probably my favorite thing about the holidays.



D- Kyle and I are going to see the 3D Toy Story double feature. I am probably more excited than a 23 year old should be.             

E- On November 8, Kyle and I will have our EIGHTH anniversary. He asked me to be his girlfriend while we were riding the bus to perform at a high school football game.

F- Kyle and I took a walk to the park this afternoon and played frisbee. I'm not very good... yet. Crossing my fingers for more afternoons just like this one.

G- Kyle and I are both blessed to have wonderful, amazing grandparents.

H- Holick Lane is the street that I lived on senior year. I lived in the cutest little house with three wonderful girls. As much as I love our apartment here, I miss my sweet little room and our front porch.

I- Blue Bell ice cream is one of my weaknesses. I was thrilled to discover that Texas treat in my Atlanta grocery stores.

J- If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life, it would be J. Crew. I love everything in that store and everything in it.

K- Kyle Krueger is my new husband. He's the fella that brought me to Atlanta and the guy I will be spending the rest of my life with.



L- There are some 'wifely' things that I really enjoy... cooking, baking, making our little apartment feel like a home, but I *hate* doing laundry. (speaking of which, I should probably get those sheets out of the washing machine)

M- Meet Me in St. Louis is my all-time favorite musical. 

N- If J. Crew disappeared, at least I would still have Nordstrom.

O- October 31st was the date of my first date with Kyle. We were 15 at the time and he came over to my house to watch The Princess Bride. We've both watched it every Halloween since then, but haven't been able to watch it together since his senior year. So if you need us this Halloween, we'll be on the couch watching our movie.

P- My parents are down-right fantastic. I love them both so very much and am so thankful to call them mine.



Q- It cracked me up that so many people had trouble coming up with something for Q. It took me about half a second to think of something: queso. I could eat queso every single day and still want more. Serve some fajitas along with it and you have a very happy Stephanie.

R- Rusty is our family dog. Miss that lazy, friendly pup.



S- I have one sister and don't know what I would do without her. She is my best gal pal and one of my biggest role models. She taught me so much about everything from faith to fashion to being a good friend. We always joke that we could never have another sister because we just wouldn't be able to like her as much as we like each other.



T- In May I graduated from Texas A&M University. I loved everything about going to A&M... the school, my major, Theta and AFC, St. Mary's, Downtown Bryan, the list goes on...



U- J. Crew makes super cute umbrellas

V- I have played the piano since I was five and played the flute in high school, but I have secretly always wanted to learn how to play the violin.

W- My sister and I can sing the entire Wicked soundtrack like nobody's business. 



X- For my dad, all I can think of is C6X.

Y- Right now my Autumn Wreath Yankee Candle is making our apartment smell amazing.

Z- I would love to have Rachel Zoe's job.


I'm off to watch Jim and Pam get married on The Office. I am oh-so-excited! Happy Thursday everyone!