...and then there is the collective Sigh of Relief...

Yes... the Wedding is over!!!

... it was magical, breathtaking, gorgeous, perfect... I mean there is no question that this marriage is blessed by God... from the very (short term)beginning of planning the wedding - God has blessed this Bride and given her the desires of her heart and the culmination of the all last minute hectic detail work that needed to be done manifested in a Fairytale Wedding that you would have thought had been in the planning stages for at least a year...


...simply blessed!


Of course, if you all went to their website (http://www.Kariandon.com) then you already know their love story... what that doesn't necessarily share is that they had fallen in love so fast, and so deep - and yet Karianna knew that they were not ready for marriage... being a Christian - she wanted to do things God's way - and she knew that if they stayed together, it was only a matter of time before they either married, or went against God... so - while it broke her heart, and his - they broke up... it was a long and painful separation. However, their friendship continued to grow... they spoke nearly every week and in the process, both grew and matured. All the while, of course, Brandon's intent was to win her back... little did he know, he never lost her!


From the wedding date having to wait until they knew his Leave time, and then finding it out and securing the one place that Karianna has ALWAYS wanted to get married (the Wedding Fountain at Pioneer Park)... to finding a gorgeous dress at David's Bridal - on clearance, for only $99 and having it fit her like a glove - no alterations needed... everything just fell into place for them.

Of course - we won't go into the details of that final week and my travels there and home, and back again to make sure that all our lists got checked off... but all of it was worth it!

The only complaint or regret is that I was one of three photographers that they had taking pictures, and somehow - a good portion of the guests brought camera's too - so I had a hard time getting the shots I wanted, with everyone looking at me, (the photographer) and not getting in front of me when I was trying to take pictures... now, in the digital camera age, apparently everyone brings camera's and stands in the aisles and walks around and takes pictures all on their own!? With the three photographers present, we should have made it clear somehow to everyone who the photographers were... mostly because the newlyweds didn't want to be taking pictures the whole time and end up missing their own reception - and we had already preplanned the shots that they wanted! Even with that, I came home with over 300 photo's... and many are gorgeous!!! Of course, the newlyweds will have to pick about a 100 or 120 for me to make an album for them - and I know that the other photographers had to have got shots that I didn't get... they'll have a hard time picking out their favorites out of so many choices!!!


Anyway - I DID do one 2-page layout a couple of days before the wedding - at my Scrapbook group... and I have several more photo's to scrap... I will get back to that this week and then within the next week or two, I may have the Italy photo's to play with... not to mention all these breathtaking Wedding photo's! I will just show a few... I can't wait to play with them!!!










Scrap On!
~Karrilee~

Wuv... TWUU Wuv....

Aaah yes... we women - we love everything Wedding, don't we?! There is a magic that comes to life in the midst of planning for such a memorable, special event... and our romantic hearts get all tied up in the fairytale of it all! Well - let me tell you, if ever there was a Bride worthy of celebration and honor, it is my niece. She is such a treasure, so pure and honest and transparent... so fresh and fun and deserving of happiness and romance. She is like royalty - honestly - among her friends and even among her parents friends - so this Shower was so much fun to prepare for and plan. And the wedding is just two weeks away!!!

I will share a few photo's of our Shower... but mostly I would ask that you all would pray for this young couple in the next several weeks... Pray for great weather, pray that her fiance will arrive on time and that he will have safe travel... pray for a calm rehearsal and a smooth lovely ceremony... pray for the photographer and that we will be able to get the pictures taken in a timely manner so they will have time to visit with their guests for a bit before they rush off to start their honeymoon... pray that they will have an enchanted magical first few weeks of marriage before he is shipped off to his second deployment in Iraq... pray for them both, as they are married, and yet forced to be apart - and all that that may entail!

I encourage you to read their Love Story... you can go to their website at www.kariandon.com and read all about it... (HINT: Click Refresh on your Browser to see more photo's of the adorable Couple on their website!) They are an honorable beautiful couple full of integrity and grace... and they are so in love... and they have waited for this time, this season, this moment for their entire lives... pray blessings over them and the next few weeks with me! I am sure I will be scrapping soon! Oh - I did make a birthday card the other day... here is that:

Also - I have unofficially started another job... I am (going to be) an assistant to two local Real Estate agents... working from home - in my jammies - doing computer stuff.... not a bad gig at all!

Anyway - the Wedding is now two weeks away with much left to do... I am not sure how much I can help from here... so we may be making a few trips 'there' to Wallyworld!!!

I pray you all are enjoying Summer... tomorrow marks the official start for my dd... Wednesday we will be sleeping IN a bit and hopefully not going anywhere!?

Scrap On!

~Karrilee~

Tulle, and Ribbons, and Bows, OH MY!?

So... it's been forever since I have even sat down at the computer to just read all of YOUR Blogs, not to mention update my own... but here I am, stealing a minute or two to say Hey! I have not done ONE THING scrap related for weeks... so not like me... even though I am normally 'caught up' I usually have cards to make or something to alter... something?! But - no... my scrap table probably actually has dust on it!?

But - I have been having fun none the less planning and prepping for my niece's Bridal Shower this weekend! I haven't thrown a Shower for over a decade... I forgot how much goes into it all... of course, lucky for me, my niece is anything but traditional - so it will not be a formal affair... but still - I want it to be fun and a blessing to her... Don't tell Na - but I even have a little notebook... OK - well - for those of you who know me very well - you know that while I lack in any competition with Na - she ALWAYS wins, hands down... I am a Notebook-type of person myself... so when I stepped up to help plan the wedding, and asked my sister (the mother of the Bride) and my niece (the Bride) to bring their Notebook with them when they came a few weeks ago so we could go over the plans... and they openly laughed at me and said, "UM.... a notebook?!?" I panicked a bit... it's true!? Then, over the course of that weekend, I did in fact supply them with color coded lists and a notebook to take home with them! LOL!? Yeah - I know - it is probably under a couch or bed or in some drawer somewhere - but still - it made ME feel better?!

So - this weekend is the Shower... and then in two more weeks, we have the Ceremony! I am the photographer for the Wedding and am so excited!!! Anyway - the shower is first so my focus has had to been on that... I need to go grocery shopping tomorrow and pack the car and then I am ready and can't do anything until the actual day! Oh yeah - my husband and my mother talked me OUT of attempting the cake on my own?! I could have done it - but they saw my eyes glaze over when I recited the menu and they made me stop! Literally - they both said no to half of my menu plans?! They also reminded me that I planned the Shower at 2pm so I wouldn't HAVE to serve a huge spread... but, you know how it is... once the planning starts, and you find all these yummy new recipes... Yeah - I said it... new recipes?! What!? WHAT?!?!? I can do it... I never use a 'tried and true' recipe for a special occasion!? LOL!? OK - well - sometimes maybe... but I had too many fun ones to chose from!!?! Anyway - it will be great! This weekend also happens to be a Crop Retreat weekend... they do it every other month and I cannot go... I even have PICTURES to scrap... but I can't possibly squeeze it in!? I mean - I could try... but... ?!?! I have been fighting off a bit of sickiness too - am feeling MUCH better - but I figure I better not push it too much!

So - hopefully I will have pictures of the shower, or some new lo or SOMETHING to post next time!!!

Praying for you all!
Scrap Happy!
~Karri~