Our Adventures

Two new parents and a toddler

Our Wedding: Getting Ready



 Slowly but surely I'm making my way through the wedding photos. Today I present to you the photos of us getting ready. I started early to make sure I'd have enough time for everything. Luckily everything went smoothly thanks to help from my mom, Judy, and my best friends Kylie and Amanda. I had no idea what to do with my hair. I had thought very little about it, and my budget didn't allow me to bring someone over to the hotel to do it for me. When I got engaged, I started reading wedding blogs faithfully. On one blog for Morgan Gallo events in Savannah, I saw a little tutorial for doing your own hair. It basically said to put your hair in a loose ponytail and start pinning curls. Well, IT WORKED! Yay for us!









My ring bearer bowl hand-made by Paloma's Nest. Love it!






Mom gets me laced into my dress, a long process.....










   






This couple made me laugh. The woman said she'd been waiting all afternoon to see me.



Wedding welcome bags and set up

When we began planning a small, out-of-town wedding, Scott and I decided we should spend a decent amount on favors to thank our friends and family for driving and flying in for our big day. Everyone had to drive at least 3 hours -- some 13 hours -- to get there.

So we decided to do welcome bags after I saw some cool ones on theknot.com. I found the totes at cheaptotes.com and my friends Lindi and Michelle at work helped with the design and printing. Michelle saved me hours of ironing on the designs and Lindi took our invitation design and remade it for the bags. Thanks to you both!






Our gift bags included:

- a copy of Our State Magazine
- a small planter of basil seeds from Target
- custom matches from For Your Party
- bottled water with labels made by me
- Easter eggs filled with candy (it was Easter weekend after all)
- toys, candy and coloring books for the kids
- homemade oatmeal sandwich cookies
- Cheerwine
- North Carolina peanuts
- a chocolate bunny
- most people also got a copy of Prime Tunes: Wedding Edition - a mixed CD of our favorite songs burned onto a CD that looks like a record.

- all the drinkers also got a bottle of wine to enjoy

So on Friday morning, after the cookies were delivered to the hotel, we took the bags to the front desk of the Crestwood Inn and had them delivered to everyone's room.

After a fun night of hanging out with our best friends following the rehearsal dinner, we Scott woke up early and I rolled out of bed on Saturday morning to prepare the patio for our WEDDING! I still get excited thinking about it.


































Rehearsal Dinner

Sorry for my long absence on the blog, but I had to work 10 days straight when we got home from the honeymoon. So I haven't had much time to edit more photos. I figured I'd start at the beginning and work my way through the wedding and then onto the honeymoon.

So here's our view when we checked in to The Inn at Crestwood on Thursday afternoon. It's such a great place with a fabulous view, an indoor pool and a spa. We chose a King balcony room, which was huge and comfy.

 And here was the view on Friday morning....The weather certainly didn't look good. As the guests arrived I assured them that the mountain view I'd promised really was there. Luckily the weather forecasts predicted sun for Saturday.
As we drove the winding mountain road into Blowing Rock for the rehearsal dinner, we saw just about the worst fog we'd ever been in. But all arrived safely to the Mellow Mushroom in Blowing Rock, which was packed.
It was a fun night, complete with a great dinner, an awesome cake and a slideshow lovingly put together by my best friends Kylie and Amanda.
























Thanks to Jim and Deanna for a fabulous rehearsal dinner! I couldn't ask for better parents-in-law.

Wedding photobooth

Our wedding day was the best day of my life! It was a beautiful sunny day in the North Carolina mountains with our closest friends and family. All of my planning and mason-jar-lantern-making paid off. It came together beautifully with the help of my mom and Billy, Scott's mom Deanna, my Dad and Judy, and my friends Jack, Kylie and Amanda. Thank you all, and thank you to everybody drove and flew in to share our day. You could definitely feel the love in the air. I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful husband, family and friends. And I'm excited to be a Whittamore. I couldn't have married into a better family.
Update: A special thank you also to Byron for helping to light the candles (I just watched one of the videos) and to Faith and Carter for being the best flower girl and ring bearer and to Dena for helping them get where they needed to be and for dressing them so well.


photo by Jon Gardiner
I will slowly write more about the day and our fabulous California honeymoon as I comb through thousands of photos taken over the last two weeks. Thanks to my great photographer (Jon Gardiner) and my very talented friends, we got some great wedding photos and video. I'll start with a few photos from the day and then......the photobooth photos. It proved to be a hit with all the guests, I believe. Even our grandmothers got into costume and had a little fun with it. The following photos are by Kylie and Amanda.










And now for the photo booth...... so much fun, complete with homemade mustaches and lips.




















Bridal shower

Yesterday, my good friend Molly and my mom threw me a bridal shower. It was a great time, and I think everyone had fun. I know I did.
Thank you so much, Molly! The shower was gorgeous. You've been a great friend since the day we met more than eight years ago and I really appreciate everything!
I had such a great time with everyone - my wonderful friends from work, my mom, Scott's mom Deanna, my future sisters-in-law Emily and Dena, my future niece Courtney, and Debra and Dee.





Dena and Courtney
Deanna, my future mother-in-law


Then when I got home this was in the mailbox. I invited the President and Michelle to the wedding, and we finally got a response! It doesn't look like they'll be attending, but they sent a really nice card that will go right into the wedding album. I think it's a super cool keepsake.

Soccer

Yesterday, Scott and I went to Carter's soccer game. I decided to bring my camera to get some photos, because there's nothing cuter that 5-year-olds playing soccer. He played so well! We're a proud soon-to-be-aunt and uncle. We can't wait to see Faith play, too.





Spring flowers

Last year and this year, we've had a special treat that we haven't seen in the yard before. I guess the cold winters have made the amaryllis bulbs "reactivate" and flower. They only last for a few days, but they are really pretty.



We also had a surprise pineapple appear. I've been planting the tops of all the pineapples we eat in hopes of getting a few to sprout. Well, we finally have one and it's fascinating to watch it develop. It even has little flowers on it. Who knew?






Emily and Eric's wedding

Yesterday Scott's sister Emily and Eric Risner got married. We had so much fun at the beautiful wedding. It was a good chance for me to meet a lot of my future family. It was great to spend time with everyone.

They got married at the Burroughs Home, a historic house in downtown Fort Myers on the river.  Here's a video of Emily's father-daughter dance with Jim.





And here's the photos I took. I didn't shoot much, because I didn't want to get in the wedding photographers' way.



















Emily and Eric make such a great couple, and we can't wait to visit them in Puerto Rico after their big move.

Corn from the garden

Just after Kylie and Amanda's visit, Scott and I checked the corn plants to see if they were ready. To our surprise, they were! So that night we cooked up the two largest ears and I photographed them. But the next day at work, I accidentally formatted the card they were on and deleted them. Fortunately we harvested two more ears and ate them a few days later. Sadly the ants got the other two ears before they matured. So here's a photo of part of our first ever corn crop.
Pardon the bad light. i was using the point-and-shoot under our stove light.


I'd say it was a partial success. The corn tasted really great straight from the garden. We just need to figure out how to plant more next year. We learned that lesson with the carrots last year, and we are about to start harvesting our second round of carrots. We just planted a third round, so we'll see if they make it in the hot days of spring.

Two months and one day away.....

The wedding is rapidly approaching, and I have very few days off left to get everything done. I had my first fitting for my wedding dress yesterday. So exciting!

Over the past two weeks, I've been creating the invitations with the help of Scott.

I got the Martha Stewart invitation kit at Home Goods for $4.99, which included the paper and enveloped. We inserted envelope liners made from craft paper to class them up a bit. For the invitation design, I used this free customizable design from the Wedding Chicks blog, and added a tree in Photoshop. I think they turned out pretty nice. The postage cost me about 18 bucks, so that was the most expensive part. I'm so glad I opted to make my own and save a lot of money. I would have paid at least $150 or more if I had ordered them.





Yes, we added the President and Mrs. Obama to the guest list last minute. Molly told me that if you send them an invitation, you'll receive a nice letter back from them. Apparently you can invite the queen of England, too, but only British citizens will receive a reply. Who knows? Maybe the Obamas will be in North Carolina and decide to swing by for some fun.

Ta Da! The bathroom is complete!

Well pretty much. We still need a new door, robe hooks and some bath mats, but we sure do love it!

We finished it Monday night after an absolutely fabulous weekend with my best friends, Kylie and Amanda! They surprised me for a girls weekend to celebrate our upcoming wedding. And Scott was kind and brave enough to babysit for Mattie Jane so we could go out.

Here's Amanda's post about the weekend with photos. I didn't take any photos at all for some reason. Thanks for a great time ladies! And thanks for enduring the drive!





Bathroom remodel - almost complete!

On Saturday, I was finally able to do laundry for the first time in two weeks -- in our new bathroom! We still don't have a mirror, and we're going to return the light and get a new one that points up. So far so good, huh? I'm hoping to have the final photos by this weekend.


 It still needs some cleaning and polishing. The faucets came in the mail today, so we should have those in and running by the end of the week. I love waking up and gazing at the new vanity and backsplash. And I love doing laundry in the new washer and dryer. We're also eventually going to replace the exterior door and the shower door. Here's another look at the before pics. Is this even the same bathroom? I have to keep pinching myself.

Bathroom remodel - full speed ahead

There is a light at the end of the tunnel for our bathroom remodel. The grout was completed tonight, so I'm hoping to spend the weekend doing laundry even if everything else isn't complete. Here's some photos of the journey since January 15 - the Saturday after I got back from NYC and before the DC trip.

Here's the before pictures again....


And after the demo....
Yep, you can see outside

new plumbing for the washer, so we can stack them. Yay!
 Supplies...

backsplash tile

tolet. yes tolet

 After we got home from NC.....


 A farewell to the old washer and dryer....
old washer

old dryer
I'll update in the morning with a photo of the completed tile floor.

Mema and a home update

As most of you know, while I was in Washington DC, I received a late-night call from my dad that my Mema had passed away after surviving triple-bypass surgery, cancer and a couple of strokes over the last 15 years. She was tired and she is now at peace. She wanted her funeral to be a celebration, and we sure tried to honor her wish. Scott and I had a great visit with the family. Mema finally got all her "biddies" (grandchildren and great-grandchildren) home at the same time. She said she was like a mother hen and liked to have her biddies all around her. Unfortunately, life and careers have scattered all the grandchildren from California to Ohio to Florida, so it is difficult to get us all home at the same time.
On Friday night we had the viewing and receiving line. I've never shaken so many hands, and I was touched by the outpouring of support from the hundreds of people who came through that line. Many people noticed that my cousins and I looked a lot like Mema in her younger years. The funeral home had put together a slide show of pictures of her, and it was playing that night. It's quite a compliment. She was beautiful. I will miss her so much.


with my dad in the yard of the family home in Raleigh


Mema and Papa






July 2010

After we returned home from Raleigh, which was my third set of flights in two weeks, we went out to the garden to pull some carrots. And to my surprise, some peas were ready, too! Here's a few pics of the corn and a poppy flower before we left. I believe these were taken on January 14 -- between the New York and DC trips.



And here's when we got home on Sunday morning.

 Carrots for dinner!


I think we'll actually be able to eat corn from the garden!




poppy
We have also been in the middle of a bathroom remodel. It all started with a post on Young House Love. Here's their post about the delivery of theirs. We just wanted a new washer and dryer. We got that and a whole lot more. After I ordered the same pair (we got 10% off and they got 20% off), I realized that our hot water supply was leaking. Not a big deal on our old set. I just washed all our laundry on cold, but now I want to take advantage of the hot water features on modern washers. When I called our neighbor over I told him we wanted it fixed, but we really wanted them stacked to make room for a double vanity. And new tile on the floors. Soooooo.....we currently have tile down (travertine I found on sale for $1.68 per sq ft) -- no grout yet. The vanity and faucets are on the way. We have a new backsplash, light fixture and a toilet in the office waiting to be installed. Quite exciting. So long old mauve tile and cheapo vanity! I'm hoping to show some pics of the progress this week. And hopefully we'll have some after photos by this weekend!






Washington, DC trip

I'm finishing up a great trip to Washington, DC, with reporter Janine Zeitlin. We came to interview PFC Corey Kent who is recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center from severe injuries after stepping on an IED while serving in Afghanistan in July. It's been a long road for Corey since he lost both legs and the fingers on his left hand. He's finally gotten to the point in his recovery where he can begin the process of learning to walk again. He just got one of his new legs and hopes to get the other next week. It was all I could do to hold back the tears while he was talking. He is so brave and thoughtful and smart. He's seen more in his 22 years that any person should ever have to see. You can read the short version of Janine's story here and in The News-Press tomorrow.

Here's my video:






And here's the link to my photo gallery.
I just want to say thank you to Corey and all the other soldiers and marines recovering at Walter Reed. You are appreciated and have done something I would never have the guts to do. Good luck in your recovery. Thank you for the opportunity to share your story!

Here's a couple shots from DC. It's cold and icy here. Unfortunately we didn't get to see many sites, but we did get on the Metro to go to Dupont Circle for breakfast.

Dupont Circle

Janine on the way down to the metro

icy tree

The Big Apple, Part IV

This is the final installment of my New York trip with my Dad. Our mission was to get me to the Martha Stewart Show on Thursday, January 13. I got tickets because I subscribed to Martha's tweets and saw a message looking for brides-to-be to be in her show's audience. I quickly filled out the form and forgot about it. Then, about a week before Christmas while Dad and Judy were visiting, I got the email saying I was confirmed for two tickets.
Emily Whittamore (Scott's sister) was naturally my first choice because she is getting married in March. Unfortunately the show was the first week of her new teaching internship, so she couldn't take the time off work. I jokingly told Dad that he should come with me because he had never been to New York City. He laughed and said, "Yeah, right," and I left it at that. I invited Molly, too, but she's planning a trip to Cali soon and couldn't afford it. (By the way -- please keep Molly in your prayers. She had to have her appendix out while I was gone and is still in a lot of pain.) So it's probably best she didn't make the trip....

On the next day, my dad said he would go with me. I was shocked, but super excited to show him the city. We made plans that night. Thanks for everything, Dad. It was a great trip, and it was so nice to spend one-on-one time with you!

So without further ado......we'll start with some photos from the rooftop deck of our hotel. It has a bar that's open in the summer, so we'll be staying there again for sure. What a view! and free!






On Thursday morning I woke up feeling like crap again. I couldn't eat really any breakfast and then it was gone from my stomach immediately anyway. So after several doses of Pepto and a prayer, I started feeling better. We changed our flights to Thursday night, so I wouldn't have to spend my entire flight home Friday morning in the airplane bathroom. Dad to the rescue again!

After the travel was rearranged, I ran downstairs to catch a cab to Martha's studio in Chelsea. I arrived about an hour early and was the seventh person in line. All the brides-to-be were super nice and of course, excited about the show. After about an hour frostbite was starting to set in on my toes, but they finally led us into the waiting room after passing through security. We filled out releases and question forms and waited to be called into the studio. At about 2 p.m., they called my number and I was seated on the second row of the middle section on the floor -- right in front of where Martha starts the show! The show airs on January 20 at 10 a.m. on the Hallmark Channel, so look for me in the floor seats. We could only take photos of before and after the show....so here they are.


The line behind me at Martha

How did Martha know these are my wedding colors?

in the waiting area

walking in...

setting up...taken from my seat

self-portrait.. ugh..


the audience behind me. it was full by the time the show started.

seats to my right

from my seat

Oscar de la Renta dress for the fashion show

after the show

after the show. Oscar de la Renta, left, and Darcy Miller, right, head of Martha Stewart Weddings


After the show I grabbed my gifts (yay- Thanks Martha!) and bolted down the street while trying to put on my coat and catch a cab. The first cabbie said no, so I ran a couple blocks, and finally one stopped for me. I was running late to catch our car to the airport, so I was glad he stopped. I don't think I could have run another block. I made it to the car a little late, but the driver waited for me. Dad had everything packed and ready to go. It was sad to leave, but I was so happy on Thursday night to be at home and in my own bed. But I will be going back. Scott and I have never been there together, so we need to have some shared memories there. It was a great trip. I just wish I could have enjoyed some food while I was there.

The Big Apple, Part III

Here are more photos from Central Park on Wednesday afternoon.






After the short carriage ride through the south end of Central Park, we walked back to the hotel to change our socks and shoes, which were soaked from stepping in slushy snow and invisible snow/mud puddles. On the way back we saw this synagogue....



After a quick rest and a change of socks, we went back out and hopped a cab to Washington Square Park. Dad wanted to see Greenwich Village, so we went to the park and walked through Soho to get to Chinatown. I figured he should see it once.




Sweet bike in Soho


Here's Chinatown. It's quite a bit sketchier than the other parts of the city, but there were cops everywhere.


Our next stop after we finally found another cab, was Battery Park. The sun was setting fast and early, so I wanted to get down there to see the Statue of Liberty from the snow-covered park. It was really pretty, but REALLY cold with the wind coming off the water.

Battery Park looking north






from Battery Park

Brooklyn Bridge-this was a bonus seen and photographed from the window of the cab.

Manhattan Bridge from the cab
 ...Preview for tomorrow... (or later this week if I get too busy in DC. I'll be there for work Monday until Wednesday.) Here's me in my floor seat at the Martha Stewart Show. The show airs Thursday, January 20, on the Hallmark Channel. Look for me in the middle section on the second row on the floor. I was sitting right in front of where Martha starts the show. More on that tomorrow.

The Big Apple, Part II

So here's more photos from the early part of Wednesday. Dad and I didn't get out until after 11 a.m., because my stomach was so messed up. We decided to walk up Fifth Avenue to Central Park to see the snow. If I only did one thing that day, that is what I wanted to see. I wanted to see the pristine soft snow on the ground and on the trees. It was truly magical. We decided on a carriage ride, despite the high cost of $50 for 20 minutes. On the way up Fifth Ave. we passed the New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick's Cathedral, St. Thomas Church, Trump Tower and just about every store you can think of.
NY public library

Rockefeller Center

St. Patrick's


St. Patrick's

St. Thomas Church


St. Thomas Church



Carriage ride before we turned into the park

Central Park

Central Park

More to come tomorrow. I've got a lot more to show.

The Big Apple

Dad and I are having a great time in New York City. It's his first trip, so I'm trying to show him all the highlights I can in our short stay. I doubt he'll be coming back anytime soon, so I want to make the best of it. It's been great spending time with him. Here's some pics from Tuesday afternoon. Naturally our first stop after checking in was the Empire State Building, which is only about 6 blocks from our hotel.

Excuse the extreme wide angle bad shot. I was holding the camera myself.



Chrysler Building. my fave.
 Then we walked over to Times Square after checking out Grand Central Station - also near the hotel.



30 Rock
Dad at Grand Central

St. Patrick's Cathedral

view from our room at sunrise-ish!
I'll post more of today's beautiful snow in Central Park tomorrow. We splurged on a horse carriage ride through Central Park to take in the snow.
I'm going to see Martha tomorrow!

New York City!

Well I arrived on time to NYC, and I could see my breath in the jetport getting off the plane. It's way colder here that the 70 degrees I left in Florida. I didn't realize there would still be snow on the ground, so the city and surrounding areas looked like a winter wonderland when we popped through the clouds.

I haven't been to the city since March 2002, so I was happy to have a great aerial view of the city on the way in.
My dad is joining me here. It's his first trip to the Big Apple. Hopefully he's as excited as me. His flight was delayed because of the ice in Raleigh, so that's why I'm posting a blog from the airport....





Hopefully we don't freeze in tomorrow's blizzard!