Flowers were a big part of my vision for our wedding. Because we were having it on Kentucky Derby day (in the spring!), I envisioned lots of fluffy arrangements in trophies. I understood going into it how much flowers cost, so my vision also included lots of greenery. Since Harrison is an agriculture teacher, he has tons of great connections—including one to a local high school that has a phenomenal floriculture program and has done wedding flowers in the past. So yes, all of my flowers were put together by high schoolers!
My bouquet // I chose white for my bouquet because I felt it best complimented the simple and timeless look I was going for. It included mostly peonies and cabbage roses with some greenery. It was wrapped with the handkerchief one of my grandmothers used on her wedding day (my something borrowed!).
Harrison's boutonniere // For the same reasons, we went with white for Harrison's boutonniere. Our dads and our pastor also wore white bouts, but they looked different. It was made from small roses and greenery.
Bridesmaid bouquets & groomsmen boutonnieres // I really wanted peonies for all the bouquets, but they are so expensive! Our florist recommended going with peonies for my bouquet and cabbage roses for my bridesmaids. They are big and fluffy and have a very similar look. I was grateful for this advice because looking back, it wouldn't have made much of a difference to me if they had peonies or not. I chose pink for theirs to set them apart and bring in that part of my color scheme.
For the groomsmen, we chose pink flowers to mirror the bridesmaids.
Ceremony // One of my favorite things from our wedding was the cross that we got married in front of. I wanted a floral swag to hang on it and it did not disappoint! It tied in so nicely to my bouquet.
We also had a memory chair on the front row in honor of our family members who are no longer with us. I had a bouquet made and placed on this chair that I also used for my toss bouquet during the reception.
Reception // I wanted simple but beautiful centerpieces. Since it was Kentucky Derby day, I incorporated roses, but in white! They also had hydrangeas and greenery. I used gold mint julep vases to pull in the equestrian theme.
We got a bunch of extra flowers sent to us (by request) from the florist, too. My grandma used some of them to decorate the cake she made for us. I could look at pictures of that cake for ages. It was exactly what I wanted! My amazing coordinators used some of them to tuck into the garland that draped over our sweetheart table. That's another detail that I could truly stare at forever.
I ordered the garland from Sam's Club! It was 25 feet long, so we cut it to drape over the mantle and our table. It arrived two days before the wedding and we kept it in the crawl space under my parent's house—damp and dark! We misted it to keep it fresh and it worked amazingly for a fraction of the price I would have paid a florist. My mom kept it after the wedding. When we got to their house after our honeymoon, it was still on their mantle looking great!
Overall, I absolutely adored the flowers at our wedding. We decided to go for a budget-friendly option, which some would shy at but it worked so well for us! I just wished they lasted forever. I have thought about having my bouquet or a centerpiece recreated in fake flowers as a forever reminder of my favorite day!
9.02.2020
This is such a boring topic, but after spending some of the afternoon cleaning, I thought I'd share some of my favorite things that make my least favorite chore more bearable!
Sprayway Glass Cleaner // This is the BEST glass cleaner! It doesn't streak and lasts for forever.
Weiman Cooktop Daily Cleaner // This really helps to get any messes off your cooktop that may be burned on. I use it every time I use my stove.
Scrub Brush
Powdered Tide // I know I'm not the only one who religiously follows @GoCleanCo on Instagram. They swear by powdered Tide and I understand why! I use it for everything now- mopping, scrubbing showers and tubs, and my laundry, too!
Pledge Multi-Surface // This is my favorite stuff to dust with.
Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner // We have stainless appliances and they get pretty dirty fairly quickly! They show a lot of fingerprints, etc., and this stuff is magic! They make wipes too but they feel greasy, so I prefer the spray.
Method Antibac Cleaner (currently unavailable) // This is my go-to countertop spray. I wipe down our kitchen counters with it every evening. For deeper cleaning and disinfecting, I use Clorox, but this is great everyday stuff.
Microfiber Cloths // The best things to clean with! You can use them with bleach and they don't stain and they really help to scrub and lift grime.
Clorox // Clorox, Tide, and hot water is the @GoCleanCo holy grail and I swear by it! (Plus, I love the clean bleach smell. Harrison hates it, so I try to use it sparingly)
Clorox Toilet Wand // Toilet brushes gross me out, so I was so excited when I found these. Disposable heads that scrub well and leave my toilets sparkling!
O Cedar Spin Mop // The most fun way to mop!
Shark Navigator Lift-Away // Shark vacuums are the BEST. I had one that was pretty old but still working great until I upgraded to this one earlier this year. It lifts so much out of my living room rug and I use it on our bare floors too. I'm always amazed by how much it picks up.
8.29.2020
Pretty much every season is "busy season" on a farm, but summer is busy with equipment moving around and just wanting to be outside more. With more people around and more things going on, it is so important to keep safety at the forefront of your mind, especially with small kids around. We don't have many kids around the farm, save for the occasional visitor or the daughter of some of our employees, but good safety practices are something that people of all ages can benefit from. Keep these tips in mind when working around your farm (or visiting someone else's!):
1. Teach kids to go to the nearest building or adult when machinery starts up or is moving. Always double check blind-spots and know where kids are when backing up.
2. Always supervise children around livestock or animals. Don't assume any animal is trustworthy.
3. Encourage kids to wear closed-toed shoes on the farm.
4. Keep chemicals out of reach of kids. Teach kids to tell an adult if/when a spill occurs.
5. Work is good for kids, but ensure they are performing age-appropriate tasks under the supervision of an adult. Encourage frequent water breaks, especially in the summer.
6. Always apply sunscreen and wear hats when working outdoors. Even cloudy days can lead to sunburn!
7. Keep a list of emergency numbers in all equipment, barns, etc. This list should include poison control, doctors/pediatricians, and emergency contacts. Teach children the importance of calling 911 in the event of an emergency.
8. Do not let children play in grain bins or enter a flowing grain bin. Entrapment can happen very quickly.
9. "One seat, one rider." Children should only ride along when able to have their own seat and seatbelt.
10. Do not let children wearing loose clothing near augers or PTOs. Young children should be taught to stand back from implements or equipment that rotates at a high speed.
1. Teach kids to go to the nearest building or adult when machinery starts up or is moving. Always double check blind-spots and know where kids are when backing up.
2. Always supervise children around livestock or animals. Don't assume any animal is trustworthy.
3. Encourage kids to wear closed-toed shoes on the farm.
4. Keep chemicals out of reach of kids. Teach kids to tell an adult if/when a spill occurs.
5. Work is good for kids, but ensure they are performing age-appropriate tasks under the supervision of an adult. Encourage frequent water breaks, especially in the summer.
6. Always apply sunscreen and wear hats when working outdoors. Even cloudy days can lead to sunburn!
7. Keep a list of emergency numbers in all equipment, barns, etc. This list should include poison control, doctors/pediatricians, and emergency contacts. Teach children the importance of calling 911 in the event of an emergency.
8. Do not let children play in grain bins or enter a flowing grain bin. Entrapment can happen very quickly.
9. "One seat, one rider." Children should only ride along when able to have their own seat and seatbelt.
10. Do not let children wearing loose clothing near augers or PTOs. Young children should be taught to stand back from implements or equipment that rotates at a high speed.
Of course, these are just 10 of thousands that you could think up. Use common sense and be safe out there, friends!
7.07.2020
Y'all... am I turning into a... FOOD blogger? Yikes, never thought that would be something I did. I have always enjoyed being in the kitchen, but it has turned into something I love even more these days. An expression of creativity, maybe!
After a relatively cool spring, my garden is enjoying the warmer days we're having and has become much more productive! I've been regularly picking a squash and zucchini or two each week, but they're coming in thicker and my tomato plants are loaded with green ones that are working on turning! I also have a pepper plant that has its first baby banana pepper and a basil plant that I honestly didn't know what to do with... I just bought it because I wanted herbs and it smelled good.
Then I saw someone on an Instagram story making bruschetta and it hit me that that's exactly what I could do to put that basil and a couple of cherry tomatoes to good use!
I'm a pretty simple person, although I do enjoy nice things, so this isn't your traditional bruschetta. Italians would probably frown upon it. But that's okay because it is dang good.
Cream cheese makes everything better and this is incredibly simple to throw together. It makes a great appetizer or a meal in and of itself, especially when your farmer comes in late after being out in the heat and doesn't want anything too heavy. I would love to have fancy, thick, beautiful balsamic, but I just have regular old grocery store stuff (it does say it's imported from Italy, so that's something 😂).
Fresh-From-the-Garden Bruschetta INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
NOTES
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7.02.2020
I can't remember the exact day that quarantine started for us, but it was somewhere around March 15th. Using that date marks over 100 days of quarantine! Things have mostly returned to normal around here—we're eating in restaurants again!—but there is still an air of caution surrounding almost everything. There are a lot of masks around and we are going through hand sanitizer by the gallon!
I wanted to compile a post of pictures and thoughts to remember this time by! Here's what we've been up to during the pandemic...
We were in Kentucky when it got pretty bad, so we came home and took some boat rides...
Hatched some chicks...
Scanned some old photos...
Did some landscaping and gardening...
Went to Lowe's way too many times...
Celebrated St. Patrick's Day...
Watched our corn pop up in rows...
Welcomed new babies into the world...
Dyed some Easter eggs and made a carrot cake...
Followed Harrison around while he did stuff, often in inappropriate footwear...
Took some naps and people-watched...
Spent a lot of time in the kitchen...
Celebrated our first anniversary...
Wore some masks...
Gave Harrison a haircut...
Spent some time with my four-legged friends...
Finally ate in a restaurant again...
Saw some flat land, big mountains, and boiling water...
And saw some family, too!
Not pictured:
- Puzzles (that I lost interest in)
- Furniture refinishing
- Tiger King, 4 seasons of Ozark, Waco, Outer Banks, Sweet Magnolias, and Yellowstone
- A few take-out meals
- A whole lot of gratefulness for health and happiness
6.30.2020
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