Snow Weekend 2010

Happy snow WEEKEND to everyone in Northwest Arkansas! It has been such a fun, relaxing weekend with the hubby here and a warm, cozy home to enjoy. Since I am under "strict orders" (from my hubby & momma) to not do anything where I could fall down---AKA, run around in the snow, go for walks on ice covered sidewalks, or even walk out to the mailbox---I substituted four-wheeler rides and snowman building with nesting, organizing, and planning. {Who needs a frost bitten face with frozen snot on it anyway, right?} It is really sinking in that Baby Boy Bailey (or Little D) will be arriving before we know it. Only 9 and a half weeks until his due date of April 7th!

Until then, the nesting will continue.Yesterday I tackled our kitchen cabinets. Let me tell you something about the way I do this whole nesting gig...I throw things OUT big time. In the end, our kitchen now has 3 entire sets of cabinets that are EMPTY. Yes, completely cleaned out with room to grow. There are boxes of things that are yet to be decided upon...garage sale in winter OR donate/give away? Take a peek into my kitchen on Saturday.

Here are the For Sale/Giveaway/Donate items strewn out across my countertops and temporarily held in a tub until further decision is made. And just so you know, I do love some of these items but like I said, I'm being very honest with myself about what should stay and what should really go. First thing to go...Mark's set of 4 John Deere glasses. Pretty sure they haven't been touched since the day he moved in.



Did I mention that I have a label maker? I went a bit crazy with it on the cabinets, so now everything has its place. Putting the dishes away just got A LOT easier for Mark Bailey. Right, honey?


I also jumped on the guest bathroom cabinets after the kitchen was finished up. Mark works for a Wal-Mart vendor that makes many popular body products, like lotions, deodorants, hair care, body wash, etc... Needless to say, if you are a guest at our house you don't need to bring any toiletries (except your own toothbrush!) because our cabinets are stocked and ready. I threw out the old stuff and rearranged the new, exciting products. I even categorized them by men, women, and gender neutral products so that they are easy to access when a house guest says "I left my soap at home." No worries here!

Last but not least, our boy Jack has loved the snowy backyard! He has been in and out all weekend. One of his very favorite things to do when he gets excited is SPRINT like crazy. You have to look out---he is 110 lbs and doesn't let anything stand in his way. In the video below, Mark has just taken him out back to have some fun so the excitement is pretty cute. (And, yes, he does this inside the house.) Pardon the camera noises & focusing; we are still learning how to use the video setting on the camera.

Untitled from Jenessa Bailey on Vimeo.

We also spent some fun time having dinner with friends who live around the corner on Friday night (thank you Marc & Michelle and Matt & Kara, oh and Boss too for inviting us over!) and on Saturday night we got dressed up and hit the town for Aubs' and Katie's birthday celebration at Savor. It was just enough time out to keep the cabin fever from getting too high for me. Today I have tackled the baby's closet, now cleaned out & ready. Lots of his clothes are already hanging on tiny blue hangers.

Enjoy! I hope your snowy weekend has been equally productive or UNproductive as mine! Check back this week as I blog about an unexpected snowfall for a February 2009 wedding that we planned. It's a lot of fun!

Baby Shower Activities Re-Visited

As Mark and I gear up to welcome our first baby into our family, my mind often wanders to fun baby showers and how much joy they bring to the family and friends of the parents-to-be! One of my very favorite things to do is host showers for those I love, and help them prepare for the new blessing in their life whether it be a hubby, a baby, or even a party to celebrate a fun accomplishment!

One challenge I know many of us face when planning showers is whether or not to play a cheesy old game. The showers I typically host are usually for a younger crowd, and many times even have co-ed guest lists. This isn't always the best scenario for a "guess what's in the diaper" competition. As I continue to host showers and parties, I hope to provide you with some creative alternatives to the same-old, same-old.

Let's start with an all-ladies baby shower for little Miss Kymber Lynn. I hosted this shower, along with some of Mark's cousins, for this new member of the family back in August. We wanted some type of activity, so I came up with the idea of Create Your Own Onesie, and boy was it a hit! Here's how you do it...

Purchase some inexpensive onesies in a variety of colors and sizes.


Pick up some great embellishments, including ribbon, rhinestones, appliques, iron ons...anything you think the little one would love!


Gather a few irons, fabric glue, scissors, some towels, and a pretty linen to cover the table. Heat up the irons and prepare your table by laying out towels (to protect your tabletop from the heat of the iron) and then cover with a heat-resistant tablecloth. Create a fun display of all of your goods...


When the time is right during the shower, invite guests to the table to creatively produce a wardrobe for the little one! You might want to make up a few samples of ideas for those who need a little boost. Here are some fun pictures of our guests creating Kymber's duds...



And here are some of the finished products! I made the one with the pink ruffled booty for her!



And here is momma-to-be Lindsey with the outfit she made for "Miss September!"


This activity was a lot of fun, very hands on, and helped this first time mom out with her new one's closet too. Here's a fun tidbit about this shower, too...in the middle of making the ruffly bottom onseie I felt the sudden urge to yak (sorry--ew!). This was the first indication of being preggo for me and the next day we found out I was expecting my first little guy!

Published!

It's local wedding magazine season, with some of my favorite issues coming out this time of year! We are honored to have several of our 2009 weddings featured in these fun publications.

In the Citiscapes January 2010 Issue, you can find the charming wedding of Maggie and Austin and the glitzy fete for Felicia and Casey. Many of my fave vendors are also featured in this local wedding resource guide, so be sure to pick up your free copy around NWA!

Just last week, Mollie and Stephen's classically romantic November wedding was featured in the Fort Smith, Arkansas publication "Life in Sebastian County."


This article discussed great venue options and ideas and how to select the perfect place for your wedding. I was also able to describe all of the lovely details of Mollie and Stephen's thoughtfully planned day!

Last but not least, Felicia and Casey's July wedding was covered in a 5 page spread in Arkansas Bride magazine. Check out all of the fab details! You can see the entire new Arkansas Bride magazine online here!

Little Rock Wedding Coordinator: Rebekah and Caleb Tie the Knot

Our 2010 year of weddings is off to a wonderful start, with the new Mr. and Mrs. Bloyd tying the knot on January 9th. This Bartlesville, OK couple presented us with one of the smoothest wedding days ever! I have to give TONS of credit to the bride, Rebekah, and her mom, Debbie, for planning this Little Rock wedding so well!

You can check out the gorgeous portraits of Rebekah and Caleb over on the fun, fresh, fabulous blog of Benfield Photography. This week, Dale will continue to post lots of beautiful images of this winter wedding so head their way to check those out!

In the mean time, I wanted to share our 3 favorite details from this wedding weekend (Ki snapped some quick pics). Rebekah and her mom completed all of the planning for this wedding on their own and then brought in our team to allow them a stress-free, enjoyable weekend with friends and family. We can't take any credit for these fun details!

My first favorite detail was one that was more than likely unnoticed by most guests, but perfectly displayed for those who loved it. On the bride's family table, we were able to display the cake topper from not only her parent's wedding (I am pretty sure they told me that it was about 30 years ago! Love that!) but also the delicate cake topper from her grandparent's wedding! If I remember correctly, Grandma shared that their wedding was in the early 50's, making this cake topper close to 60 years old. The candle figures on the left are the grandparents' and the bride and groom on the right are the parents'.



My second favorite detail was the way the food was displayed. Only a preggo wedding coordinator would set up shop next to the buffet line, so you know I noticed it! Just kidding... Pleasant Valley Country Club did a beautiful job of displaying the food so well. Be sure to ask your caterer about their presentation. The food can be just as much of a show stopper as any flowers or decor. You want it to look lovely! Check out these snapshots...




My third favorite detail is probably one of my favorite winter wedding details I have seen so far in my time planning weddings. The guests loved the Hot Chocolate Bar, and so did I!




For the real deal images, remember to scope out the Benfield Photography Blog this week. You can also catch this video that Dale captured as their wedding party entered the reception. What a great photographer--he captured a quick video while Meredith got the still shots knowing that Rebekah and Caleb would love to have this moment captured in motion.

Untitled from Dale Benfield on Vimeo.

Congratulations to Rebekah and Caleb and all of the Johnson & Bloyd crews! Thank you for making our job so easy & enjoyable, and for treating us so well as a part of your wedding celebration!