Day 20 - a hobby of mine

Okay - a hobby is defined as an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation. So, I would say that the invitation design is my hobby - because I kind of feel like it is and it's not my main occupation - but I've talked about that ad nauseum the past few posts, so I'm going with working out.

I work out almost everyday and I don't feel complete if I haven't done so. I'm also a part-time personal trainer (yes, I sort of have three jobs) which I LOVE. I run a women's only fitness boot camp three days a week but I really enjoy working out in my own time, as well. I am borderline obsessed with fitness which is funny because I have such a sweet tooth.

But nothing makes my day better than pounding on the pavement, or a great spin class or an hour on the elliptical followed by strength training. My body has changed drastically over the past few years due to my love for the gym, and I love it. I definitely fluctuate at times, but I'm happiest living a healthy lifestyle.

Day 19: A Talent of Mine...

Well, I would start by stating the obvious - I feel I'm fairly creative. I mean, I did major in Studio Art in college. I'm not Picasso or anything - but I'm pretty good. I received recognition for pieces while in high school and in college.

That being said, I've not even picked up a paint brush since I graduated. It's sad. I'm trying to get back in to it, but time is really a factor. And I don't have any photos of any of my work on hand. So for today, I'm going to be a complete attention whore and direct you, once again, to my etsy shop. This is my creative outlet for the time being - designing stationery, notecards, inviations, etc.

www.etsy.com/shop/fleurdebeedesigns

Day 18: My Wedding

Get ready for a long post, because I can talk about my wedding all day long. Originally, I was opposed to the idea of a destination wedding when Kyle proposed the idea. Would everyone come? How was I going to plan a wedding from thousands of miles away? Was my Dad going to be okay with me not marrying in a Catholic church? Eventually - and by eventually, I mean not long at all - I agreed to go for it. And I'm so happy that I did. It was, hands down, the best week of my life thus far. We were married on June 6, 2009 in St. Thomas, USVI. We took 40 of our friends and family there, and it was pretty fabulous. Here are details:

The first time my Dad saw me:



Our kick ass reception at Havana Blue (one of my fav restaurants on the island):

Cake! Tropical carrot cake with cream cheese filling and chocolate cake with chai mascarpone cheese filling.

Custom drink menu:

My seating cards:

An impromptu first dance - our friend Emily sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow for us: 

We were feeling good at the Rum Bar, at the after party: 

The next day, we did a Trash the Dress session (but not with my actual dress):

And then we had a reception back in Louisville at the Ali Center on July 11:

Day 17: An Art Piece

This one is the hardest! I was an art major and I love all things art, so I'll have to post a few.

I've mentioned several times before how much I love George Rodrigue, so here is a sample of his work:

But, I also love Andy Warhol, and I own these plates:

And, of course, Lichtenstein:

So clearly, I have a love for pop art....but I'm a sucker for Impressionism, particularly Degas, as well:

But I also have a huge appreciation for early Italian Baroque artists, like Caravaggio, and had the privelege of seeing this actual piece in the Galleria Borghese in Rome:

I'll stop there - this is truly a subject I could go on all day long....but I won't. Once I start getting in to Italian artists - I could do a 30 day blog simply on that subject!

Day 16 is...

A song that makes me cry (or nearly).

Which is tough, because I don't cry at songs. I cry at movies...books...tv shows....but not songs. I will say that I do get choked up whenever I hear the Hawaiian version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow not only because it's a beautiful song, but as I've mentioned before, I walked down the aisle to that song, so it brings back a lot of memories and feelings. So....that's my song for today!

Introducing...Fleur de Bee Designs!

Two posts in one day? Absolutely!

Some of you may know that I've been designing stationery and invitations for years now...and it's always been word of mouth. I finally decided to bite the bullet and open an etsy shop, to see where that leads. So by all means, please check it out and keep me in mind for anything paper-related you may need, tell all your friends, etc. It's something that I truly LOVE to do - so the more orders, the better!

So without further ado, introducing Fleur de Bee Designs!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/fleurdebeedesigns

I'm baaaaaaaaack! Day 15.

Hello! I'm back! Not 100% but I did get my cast off and now I just have to wear a very ugly black splint. Here's a horrendous photo of me from this weekend with the dogs - you can see my big cast/ace bandage:

Anyway, on to Day 15 - my dream house. Well....I have it. When we found this house, I told Kyle it was my dream house, and it became ours:

Complete with the pool we just finished in May:

These photos aren't too recent because we now have beautiful cushions from frontgate and our entire yard is in bloom, but you get the idea. It's gorgeous and I just love being at home. I have found dream bathrooms that I love....if you know me well, you know I love to read and I adore reading in a huge bubble bath to relax and wind down for the day. Here are just a few that I've found (and in all honesty - my master bath is pretty amazing...but I just love these, too):