The Beautiful Mess: Engagement Photos



Photo courtesy of The Beautiful Mess


Check out these lovely engagement photos from The Beautiful Mess! The bride, Abigail, and I have been friends for almost 10 years now.  She's an amazing, fun and Godly woman... and look how gorgeous she is! Not to mention blissfully happy to be marrying the man of her dreams! Can't wait to meet Mr. Tanner!

Congratulations to the both of you! Wishing you nothing but happiness!!

Photo courtesy of The Beautiful Mess

Click here to see more from their session: http://thebeautifulmess.com/2010/10/engaged-justin-abby
They also need your help before Friday... If they get 100 comments on The Beautiful Mess link above, they receive some free stuff! Anyone who has had to pay for wedding photos knows how important this is!

Cleaning Made Simple

Cleaning...it's what we do every weekend unless there's something going on or we're sick. I don't clean during the week, just pick up here and there (if that) so the weekends are for cleaning. I'm not saying I spend my entire Saturday and/or Sunday cleaning but I get what needs to be done for that week.

Please, don't get me wrong -- I abhor cleaning. I wish I could hire a maid but I know it wouldn't be good enough for me. You see, my mother was a housewife for 13 years until she decided to go back to work. And everyday she cleaned. Our house was always spotless. The carpet was vacuumed at least once a day. You did not wear your shoes on the carpet, they came off at the door. My room was always tidy, and the bed was always made. My best friend Lauren recently joked that she would like my mom to come visit her so that she could "really clean" like "wash the base boards" type of stuff. That's my mom and that's how I was raised. So my standards for cleaning are up there! While I don't think I'm near as particular about cleaning as my mother, I do like a clean house. I love you mom for always keeping our home clean!


My husband and I have lived together for almost 3 years now and we've got this cleaning thing down really well! Yes, I said my husband cleans. :) He doesn't have an outside to take care of yet so we share duties in the apartment. I know, I'm blessed. Although this weekend my husband was "busy" watching football but I'll let it slide because I did get a "honey, you did a really nice job with the kitchen." That was worth doing it all by myself.

For those of you who find cleaning a struggle or just need a better routine, here is a guide from Real Simple Magazine that might help. I don't follow everything on here, but it's a good place to start.

Click on the pictures to enlarge

Thank Goodness for Real Simple Magazine!

Hawaii countdown is on...

My husband and I are counting down the days until our official honeymoon in Hawaii this month! We are going to be escaping the cooler temps of Pennsylvania and soaking up the always warm and sunny island of Kauai.


from KauaiDiscovery.com


I know I must look crazy buying up the sunscreen & tanning oils at the local Walgreens when it's rainy and barely 60 degrees outside but that's what I did this week.

from KauaiDiscovery.com

You know those Corona Commercials? My total inspiration for travel destinations. I picture a nice relaxing beach, some palm trees, a frozen alcoholic beverage in my hand, crystal blue ocean, and lots of sun & sand.

Can't wait!! :)