Marli Paige: A Pinner's Paradise

We buried you today

2016-05-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

After two hours at an unneeded doctors appointment where they just drew blood and didn't even look at the fetus or placenta...we went to Michael's and got stickers and a box and went home and burried you.

We burried you in the back yard with a stump marking the spot so I can see you when I sit on the back porch. I placed a purple tipped carnation on top, just like I've used in every arrangement for every dead family member since the first one I got to help pick out when I was 10. Papa had them, Grandma had them, Grandpa had them, Nanan had them...and now you had one.

Your Dad and I cried. He asked me if I wanted to say anything, and I shook my head. I just kissed my hand and laid it to the box. He covered the dirt back over top. We walked back inside and held the dogs. Then I had to get to work on the wedding flowers for this weekend. Because with or without you, life went on.

I didn't want it to, but it did. And I spent the afternoon with Aunt Aliya feeling human for just a little while. Before sinking back into the tub, into tears, to write this.

We buried you today. And the world didn't stop turning. And my heart didn't stop hurting. But I can feel like you're finally at peace.

Miscarriage: A True Story

2016-05-05T10:41:00.001-07:00

DISCLAIMERS. If you're squeamish or don't want to hear the reality of my miscarriage, I'd encourage you to turn back. If you came here because you're experiencing something and want to hear my story, that's what it's here for. I'd rather something good come out of this.

So back in February we conceived, and I decided to be very open and vocal from the beginning about it. "If something happens, I'm an open person. I'd rather everyone KNOW than hide it" was my motto, Day 1.

April 5th We went for our 7 week scan (which he thought was an 8 week scan). But they said baby measured 7 weeks 1 day, not 8 weeks 2 days. I had a Small subchorionic bleed: 1.77 x 0.49 x 1.74cm

And a cyst on my left ovary "corp lut cyst: 3.40 x 2.15 x 2.29cm"

Pregnant was considered viable and healthy. Had a strong heart beat of 148

I had a Pap smear because I've had irregular post in the past. My last one said my ASCUS (abnormal squamous cells of undetermined significance) was GONE. However, at that appointment they said while the HPV was cleared, ASCUS was back. Nothing they could do while I was pregnant, though.

Approximately April 12-13 unbeknownst to us, baby passed away. It stopped growing at roughly 8 weeks 1 day.

Pregnancy however continued because my body was unaware. I continued to have symptoms including nausea, vomiting, weight gain, cravings and food aversions, placenta continued to grow. Everything seemed normal.

On Monday May 2

I did some yard work. Afterward I had a phone meeting with a client. And then went to the bathroom and saw brown spotting. I thought I'd just overdone it. So I put my feet up and let Ian get dinner for us.

About 11:30 that night after a bath I passed a dark brown clot. After a little research, I woke Ian up and said we needed to go to the ER. We were scheduled for our next ultrasound the following day. Or by the time we made it to the ER, that day.

By 1 we had an ultrasound and were in a room. By 2, we were informed baby had stopped growing and had no heartbeat. We rode home in silence. And I cried for about an hour uncontrollably until I fell asleep.

Tuesday May 3...

Ian, the strong and practical one, went to work as normal. I told him his boss would understand, and he should just text he wasn't coming in. But he went in. However, as soon as he boss talked to him, he broke down. And before 9 he was home again in bed with me crying. I don't remember him ever crying before.

He kept saying "I thought I was fine..." And so I told him about when I was in 6th grade and my dad was having his colo-rectal cancer surgery. I thought I was fine until I walked into school. I saw the homework I was supposed to have brought on someone's computer, spin on my heel, bursting into tears and began running along side my parents car, beating on it. You're fine until you're not...and you never know when that will strike...

Our doctors appointment was rescheduled from 1 to 4 so we could see a real doctor not a NP. And in Austell, not Douglasville. So we went.

While in the waiting room my parents finally called. They're on a cruise. This always seems to happen. Something dire happens while they're completely Unreachable. Thankfully, mom's cousin, Tina, was on the cruise with them. And she had Facebook access to find them. I told them what happened, and we all cried. But it costs like $5 a minute to use the phone, and I had to get back to the doctor, so it was quick.

They told us the baby had stopped growing at 8 weeks 1 day roughly a week after our ultrasound. That it could've been from the bleed. Or it could've been from something being wrong with the baby. They wouldn't know. They let us choose between the medicine or a D&C. We scheduled a D&C for Tuesday of the next week.

We went home. We cried. Everyone reached out to me on Facebook. So many people told me they'd been through it. Some I knew. Some I didn't ever know. The outpouring of love was immense.

About 11 that night I started getting strong cramps. I took one of the Percocets that the dr prescribed. I got a few hours of sleep on the couch.

Wednesday, May 4...

Ian woke up, went to work, and once again found himself crying at his desk and came home. He just wanted to know if there was a clock that would tell him when he'd be ok again. We both seem to be sparked by people showing they cared. Every nice person sparked tears. But it was nice that people cared.

By 10 am the "cramps" were clearly contractions. I had taken 1 more Percocet. And about 10:30 I went to the bathroom and gave birth to my baby.

It was deflated and in two pieces. But it was my baby. A clear eyes and mouth. Like a little grey blob with those. And I put it in a baggie to keep for the doctor.

There wasn't a sac around it. I never saw a sac at all. Just a huge clot and a tiny baby.

I went to go wash off in the tub and the pain was getting worse. I took another Percocet. It had been 4 hours. I was nauseous and being hit by wave after wave on unbearable pain. I washed the blood off and got out.

I felt like I had to go to the bathroom. So I did. Pain got worse. Passed more clots. Pain got worse. I called the doctors office trying to figure out what was normal and what wasn't. I told them I passed the baby. And might not need the D&C. And asked for a nurse. Said I'm in the middle of a miscarriage.

They accidentally hung up on me. By now Ian was in the room. I was writhing in pain. I'd filled the toilet with blood three times. I had on a pad to catch it now. Hoping to measure how much I was bleeding.

He called them back and put them on speaker. In his head he was trying to calculate if he logistically thought he could get me in the car, or we needed an ambulance. I was hot and cold. Sweating. Shaking. Having contractions. Feeling like my insides were being ripped out. Bleeding profusely. Nauseous. Feeling like I was going to vomit back up the Percocet and Zophram.

I was moaning. It hurt too bad to stay still. But it hurt to move. So I was just moving one foot at the time. Laying at a slight angle. Praying For it to be over. I thought I was dying. I REALLY thought I was dying.

The nurse said if I filled more than 1 pad per hour to go to the ER. Otherwise, it should pass. I got up and ran to the bathroom again. I pushed. A clot the size of my fist came out. I assumed it was the placenta. The cramps subsided. I could breathe again.

We thought it was over. The nurse made an appointment to recheck me Friday at 11:30.

Most of the afternoon I was a little crampy but ok. Mostly exhausted and weak. I kept passing large amounts of clots though. I filling up about half a pad an hour and changing.

About 5:30 it kicked back up. Slowly but surely the pain came back. At 7 I was looking up if I could take ANYTHING else. Because 2 hours after, and the pain was becoming as bad as before. I could take Advil. So I did. About 7:30 I climed in the tub again, the only place that gives me some relief. The warm comfort. And just as I was running water something came shooting out of me.

To say it was disgusting was the understatement of the century. I've never seen anything grosser. It was about 7" long and looked like a bloody, fleshy penis. It had a sort of "head" shape that was as big around as my thumb. And the shaft was sausage sized. This is it in a ziplock bag.

Ian was on the phone with his dad, and I had to call to get him to bring me a Baggie. He did and was shocked to see me floating in so much blood. A LOT of blood came out with it. Along with a lot of clots. I continued to spurt out some blood, and I tried to figure out if anyone else had a deformed penis shaped placenta. I saw some people had a sac covered in tissue. So. I went digging to see if maybe the sac was inside. It wasn't. Just blood vessels and placenta looking bits. It was just hardened and deformed. Which apparently can happen if your baby dies. Extra tissue can adhere.

It was so gross. I put it on glow nurture, my pregnancy ap. One person thought placenta. Several thought fibroid. One just said "go to ER NOW!" But the pain was passing. And the clots stopped.

I've had normal period level pain since then. And normal-heavy period bleeding. Filling up a pad every 4 or so hours. I took a Percocet to help me sleep last night. One when I was crampy at 5,

And once when we were going to leave to get flowers at noon.

Unfortunately, even when tragedy strikes you can't say "I know your wedding has been booked for a year, but gee...I can't do your flowers." So. I still have those to do.

My flower person, Jessica, just hugged me and told me how much she cared. It was nice to actually touch another human. We've sort of isolated ourselves through this. And human contact was really nice. Tonight his mom is coming to bring dinner. Tomorrow we go to the doctor and Aliya is coming to help with flowers. I may update then, too. But for now...it only hurts when I do too much. I tire easily. And it's nice to know people care. And Sunday...is Mother's Day. The dreaded day that will remind all the moms who had to give their children back that they're somewhere else, not here with them.

I'm sure I'll have hard days and good days. Right now the physical hurt is worse than the emotional. Everyone else seems to think the emotional is worse. Maybe it will be. But for now, I'm trying to just make peace with my angel baby.

I still wish I knew the gender so I could call it "he" or "she" or even name it. Really name it. And I still have to do something with the baby things I already had. But. It'll be ok. It'll all eventually be ok.

We can try again after I have a real period. Generally that's 6-8 weeks. A lot of people were pregnant about 3 months later. Some it took a lot longer.

And I think I'll always celebrate in my own way 3 days for this baby.

April 13. The day it went to heaven.

May 4. The day it left me.

November 21. The day it should've been born.

It was still our baby, even if it never took a breath. It was loved. It was wanted. And it was blessed to have been both of those things. And we were blessed to be Mommy and Daddy, even for a short while.

Mommy, Daddy, & Baby C. April 9, 2016.

Loss of a child

2016-05-03T19:49:00.001-07:00

It's something no one wants to talk about, but statically 1 in 5 women will lose a child before 13 weeks gestation.

My husband and I were thrilled to welcome our little bundle of joy in November until last night when I passed a clot, went to the ER, and found out our little one passed away at 8 weeks 1 day.

This was a picture at 7 weeks 1 day of our happy, healthy baby.

I had a small bleed (fairly normal), and we had no reason to suspect anything was wrong.

This is probably one of the last pics I was pregnant with a living baby in. Shortly after this, our baby grew wings and flew to heaven.

I hope it got to meet my "babies" who went before. My animals. The ones I lived and lost. I hope they nuzzled it, and told it how lucky it was that I was its mom for even a second. For 8 weeks, to be exact.

I hope my sweet LeLe boy gave you a head butt and a purr. And told you how much he had enjoyed when I was his mommy. And how much I had loved him and must've loved you too.

I hope my sweet Brandi Boo told you how much she had loved being my Sissy, and how she would've been a great auntie to you...if she'd ever gotten to know you. She'll herd you in the right direction. Just do me a favor and lay with her if you have storms in heaven. She's afraid of thunder.

I'm sure Nanan and Papa were thrilled to meet you. I think she always thought she'd be around to meet her great grandchild. But truth is she got to meet you before I did. Hopefully papa will sing for you since I never got to. And Nanan would sit and listen to you talk for hours. She always did for me.

I can only imagine the look on my Grandma and Grandpa's faces when you showed up. If you ever need comfort, she's your first stop. She's the greatest woman who ever drew a breath. She has endless patience and love. Tell her I still miss her so much.

Grandpa can give you a ride on Lacey. She was a good girl. And I hope there are golf carts in heaven so he can ride you on one. I hope there are peppermint a with chocolate in the middle too. Or worthers. He always had both. And he'll make you up silly songs.

I'm sure they're all so proud to be there with you.

Even thought your body is still inside me...I know you've been gone quite a while. You're in heaven with all of them. And you're so lucky. They're some of the best family you could ask for. So I know you're being taken care of. But Daddy and I miss you.

We were so proud you were ours. Even for the short time we had you. There you are with us at Aunt Kayla and Uncle Wooter's wedding. They were so happy to know you too. So was Aunt Aliya, Uncle Cody, Uncle Caleb, your cousin Ivy, your Mimi and Pop, your Grandpa Tom and Grandma Rosemary, your Aunt Sara your RobRob, your aunt Terri. They were all so excited to meet you. And they all miss you almost as much as we do. Almost.

But even though you're gone...you will never be forgotten. Mommy and Daddy will always love our first baby...

In memory of Baby C

Went to heaven April 13, 2016.

Healthy-er?

2015-06-09T09:21:00.001-07:00

On my journey to health and overall better well being (weight loss would be a wonderful thing as well, but my main goal is health)...I've been trying a lot of things lately:

1. Food

Eating only local organic foods from local farmers markets or from our garden (mostly)

Meat, potatoes, and onions from farmers market

Lettuce from our garden

Quinoa salad. Quinoa from the store

Cukes, tomatoes, carrots, and eggs from farmer's market.

2. Drinks

I'm trying to drink more water. I've bought lots of flavor drops because I hate just water. And. If a few drops of something get me to drink more water I think it's worth the trade off. I'm going to start trying to go back to infused waters now that stuff is in season again.

Better drink choices (bought a REAL GINGER mix for making ginger ale with club soda at home. Also local)

You can buy online too: http://www.momintandthyme.com/

Drinking YourTea TinyTea.

http://america.yourtea.com/products/28dayteatox

I haven't been following the detox instructions well:

1 morning 30 min before breakfast

1 30 min before lunch

1 30 min before dinner

I've been getting in about: 1 per day

Day one I did two. Both were at my parents house. I steeped for the recommended 5-7 minutes. I gagged. It was AWFUL! Why had LoeyLane (https://m.youtube.com/user/LoeyLane )

steered me so wrong!?! How could she drink this terrible crap and call it "good." Why did I waste all that money!?!

When I was home and back to my fake keurig I opened a bag and (for the first time but not the last) it broke because it was stuck to the packaging. Upsetting. But. I popped the non broken side down into the single brew, and low and behold IT TASTED GOOD!

Just a spoon full of honey and brewing it like NORMAL tea...it tasted like normal tea. AMAZING!

This morning bag number two broke, but I repeated the same, and it worked fine. That's my main complaint with this. If I'm going to pay you almost $1 per bag can you make them NOT break? Thanks.

(Also got my mug free as a promotion)

3. Supplements.

On top of my normal pill regiment, I now take a One A Day Women's Multivitamin and Turmeric.

I got my turmeric while on sale at sams's club after doing a lot of research on this particular brand. Turmeric is highly recommended for inflammation and cancer prevention / healing. It's suggested that inflammation may be a major cause of a lot of problems and illnesses within the human body. So, getting that down or gone is good in my book.

http://m.samsclub.com/ip/inflamin-turmeric-120ct/prod16900235

I will report back when I've been taking it longer. It's only been a few days so...I don't think I can give any useful feedback except that I'm hopeful, and they are indeed horse pills.

4. Sleep.

I have struggled with sleep my WHOLE life. My body is naturally set to nocturnal. I wish it wasn't. But it is. I've tried resetting it many times, and while it may work for a few weeks, it always resets I've tried melatonin, sleeping pills, tea, Benadryl, yoga, stretching before bed, no technology one hour before, watching tv to drift to sleep...nothing helped.

FINALLY something seems to make a difference: ASMR.

Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) is a neologism for a perceptual phenomenon characterized as a distinct, pleasurable tingling sensation in the head, scalp, back, or peripheral regions of the body in response to visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or cognitive stimuli.

Aka ever got chills up your spine when something feels good? I get that when something SOUNDS good. The hand motions and such do nothing for me. I turn the screen off. It's all noise to me.

It's such a quiet, gentle sound that I drift to sleep.

My favorite ASMR-tists:

(I'm linking a good video of theirs (for me). Feel free to browse and see what you like).

GentleWhispering (Maria)

http://youtu.be/RVpfHgC3ye0

ASMRRequests (Alli):

http://youtu.be/k-VVYMsBFXM

Heather Feather:

http://youtu.be/7GwtmUnecII

There are TONS out there. So find your flavor (if you get the tingles or are merely relaxed by them). Enjoy a mind detox.

I really think that's why I respond so well. My head is over clouded with "stuff." And when I try to be still all the "stuff" gets louder and louder and won't let me rest. This declutters and detoxes my mind so it can drift off to sleep peacefully.

So after discovering ASMR my only issue was falling asleep with earbuds in HURT.

My solution? (Thanks Maria) "Sleep Phones: Pajamas for you Ears." It's a band that goes around your head and has pockets for the little flat earphones. I used them last night, and my only complaint is that because they go over not IN my ear...I still hear my husband snoring. It's not nearly as immersive. But unless you have a ridiculously loud snorer in the bed with you. They should work great.

http://www.sleepphones.com/

5. Exercise

I'm still working on upping this. I've mostly been cleaning my house and gardening a lot. And carrying stuff up and down stairs. I'm trying to de-clutter my house, and so that requires a LOT of trips down the stairs to the basement. That's my current form of exercise, lol.

I'm hoping to get a more structured one going as well. Every time I start a new one it lasts less than a week. Then I hate it. And I don't do it. Also, I got an xbox1 for the purpose of using the kinect to play dance games...the Zumba game I bought never worked. So. I got pissed and didn't try again.

6. Decluttering

My new current "feel better" idea is...declutter my life. Every day I throw something away. Every day I move something downstairs. It's so FULL. I HATE it. I need openness. I need peace. I don't need all of this STUFF.

So that's my next big project. Making my

House homey but happy. Open. Free of unnecessary clutter.

So, that's my current routine of trying to be a happier, healthier me. I'll let you know how it goes. Feel free to try it and let me know how yours goes.

Our Ceremony

2015-04-01T10:24:00.000-07:00

Many people struggle to write a "script" for their ceremonies. I took great care to compile mine from several sources as well as writing out some of it myself. I hope this may help at least someone with their writing of their own ceremony script. It also includes links to all of the songs used and pictures of things as they occurred.

Wedding of Marlissa Doss and Ian Cunningham

Prelude:

Four Tops	Baby I need your lovin'
Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell	You're All I need to get by
Ray LaMontagne	You are the best thing
The Turtles	Happy Together

Processional

J. Benjamin

Marry Me (Violin Cover, originally performed by Train)

Officiate: Terri Schlag walks down aisle. Takes place at gazebo.

Ian Cunningham walks down aisle to place on gazebo

Tom Cunningham walks Rosemary Cunningham down aisle. Seats her. Takes place beside Ian.

Seth Wooten walks Phyllis Doss down aisle. Seats her. Takes place beside Tom.

Caleb Hutcheson walks with Bailey Cunningham and both take their places.

Sara Cunningham walks down aisle, takes place on far left.

Kayla Brown walks down aisle takes place in front of Sara.

Courtney Terry walks down aisle, takes place in front of Kayla

Aliya Johnson walks down aisle pulling Ivy Johnson in wagon. They take their places.

KJ Hagan throws petals down aisle and goes to stand beside Sara.

Bride’s Processional

Artist	Song Title
Vitamin String Quartet	Hallelujah

Glenn Doss walks Marlissa Doss down aisle. Both stand in front of Terri Schlag.

(I thought I would be so emotional. I was laughing and singing down the aisle with Dad)

TERRI You may all be seated.

Welcome, friends and family. Ian and Marli have invited us here today to share in the celebration of their marriage. We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists. This marriage is one expression of the many varieties of love. Love is one, though its expressions are infinite.

(To Marli) Marli, do you take this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

MARLI I do.

TERRI (to Ian) Ian, do you take this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

IAN I do

TERRI Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man?

GLENN: Her mother and I do.

(kiss my cheek, put my hand in Ian’s, sits next to Phyllis)

TERRI 1 Corinthians 13 tells us “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” And so today we come to celebrate those traits that Ian and Marli have found in one another.

As you have all been a part of their lives in some way in the past, I ask now that you give your affirmation to continue to be so in the future. To lift them up both as individuals and as the new united pair they become today. Will all of you here as witnessing to these promises made in love, do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? If so, please answer, “We will.”

Audience answers “we will”

(one of my favorite shots of the whole day)

TERRI Ian and Marli, the symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time.

Pause to take in the moment

Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, lover, companion [maybe add more here]

You have learned much from one another in this time since deciding to meet a stranger off the internet and take a chance at love.

(pause for laughs)

Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife.

Please join hands

(I pass off bouquet and take his other hand in mine)

Ian, repeat after me. I Ian Raymond Cunningham

IAN I Ian Raymond Cunningham

TERRI Take you, Marlissa Paige Doss

IAN Take you, Marlissa Paige Doss

TERRI As my lawfully wedded wife.

IAN As my lawfully wedded wife.

TERRI To have and to hold.

IAN To have and to hold.

TERRI From this day forward.

IAN From this day forward.

TERRI For better or worse

IAN For better or worse

TERRI For richer or poorer.

IAN For richer or poorer.

TERRI In sickness and in health

IAN In sickness and in health

TERRI To love, honor, and cherish until death do us part

IAN To love, honor, and cherish until death do us part

TERRI Marli, Repeat after me. I Marlissa Paige Doss

MARLI I Marlissa Paige Doss

TERRI Take you, Ian Raymond Cunningham

MARLI Take you, Ian Raymond Cunningham

TERRI As my lawfully wedded husband

MARLI As my lawfully wedded husband

TERRI To have and to hold.

MARLI To have and to hold.

TERRI From this day forward.

MARLI From this day forward.

TERRI For better or worse

MARLI For better or worse

TERRI For richer or poorer.

MARLI For richer or poorer.

TERRI In sickness and in health

MARLI In sickness and in health

TERRI To love, honor, and cherish until death do us part

MARLI To love, honor, and cherish until death do us part

TERRI May we have the rings?

(Marli crouches down and calls Bailey. Bailey eagerly trots over to Mommy. After a quick kiss she removes the rings from his collar. He goes to sit with Phyllis and Glenn)

TERRI Ian, please place the ring on Marli’s finger, and repeat after me: “I give you this ring as a daily reminder of my love for you.”

IAN I give you this ring as a daily reminder of my love for you.

TERRI Marli, please place the ring on Ian’s finger, and repeat after me: “I give you this ring as a daily reminder of my love for you.”

MARLI I give you this ring as a daily reminder of my love for you.

TERRI (gets out handfasting chords)

Handfasting is an old Celtic tradition, and Ian and Marli have chosen to use it to be an outward sign of the commitment they make here. The Chord is made of many strands of ribbon, and intertwined are pieces from each of their respective families, signifying that not only do two people become one today, but two families become one.

Ian and Marli as your hands are bound together now,

so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust.

Above you are the sun and stars and below you is the earth.

Like the sun and stars your love should be a constant source of light,

and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.

Please hold the chord between your ringed hands.

(Groom palm up, holding chord, Brides hand resting in his)

Ian and Marli, this chord is a symbol of the life you have chosen to live together. Until this moment you have been separate in thought, word, and deed. But as this chord is tied together, so shall your lives become intertwined. With this chord, I bind you to the vows that you have made to one another. With this knot, I tie you, heart to heart, together as one.

May this love knot always be a reminder of the binding together of two hands, two hearts, and two souls into one. And so you are bound to one another, for all the days of your lives.

(Officiate ties love knot)

And with the knot tied, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ian, you may kiss your bride.

(We kiss.)

TERRI I would like to officially present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Cunningham.

Recessional

Artist	Song Title
Chris Maghintay	My Player Two

Ian and Marli

Rosemary & Tom

Aliya, Ivy, Caleb

Phyllis, Glenn, & Bailey

Courtney

Wooter & Kayla

Sara

Handfasting

2015-04-01T09:20:00.001-07:00

HANDFASTING

A handfasting is an old Pagan custom, dating back to the time of the ancient Celts. A handfasting was originally more like an engagement period, where two people would declare a binding union between themselves for a year and a day. The original handfasting was a trial marriage.

After seeing the handfasting ceremony that had been a part of my bestie's wedding in June of 2013, I had fallen in love with the idea and tradition of binding hand to hand and heart to heart. I also liked that you could put charms on to celebrate the members of each side of the family, and that the braided cord was like a symbol of the two families becoming one through the love of the couple.

So, I decided that handfasting would be the best choice for us as a couple. We're not overly religious. I was raised in the church. He wasn't. But I still wanted a ritual to be performed that symbolized our union, and this seemed perfect as it was "tying the knot" in a literal sense. And it left a physical manifestation of our bond for us to see forever.

The Chords

A three stand ribbon chord of our colors: Red, Yellow, and White.

My charms on our handfasting chords:

My half of the heart Ian gave me for Christmas (his broke. Can't find it),

pieces of Ian Cunningham's grandmothers silk scarf (tying on)

a blue gemstone charm for one of my grandmothers necklaces,

the wish pearl I got when I was 8 on my first cruise where I wished to find my true love,

and a lace flower from mom's wedding dress.

This is how our chords are displayed now afterward in a shadow box with the bow ties and flowers and a napkin for the ceremony:

The Ceremony

In the next post I will post our entire wedding script, but below I have included the portion that was about handfasting:

(gets out handfasting chords) Handfasting is an old Celtic tradition, and Ian and Marli have chosen to use it to be an outward sign of the commitment they make here. The Chord is made of many strands of ribbon, and intertwined are pieces from each of their respective families, signifying that not only do two people become one today, but two families become one. Ian and Marli as your hands are bound together now,so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust.Above you are the sun and stars and below you is the earth.Like the sun and stars your love should be a constant source of light,and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow. Please hold the chord between your ringed hands. (Groom palm up, holding chord, Brides hand resting in his)

Ian and Marli, this chord is a symbol of the life you have chosen to live together. Until this moment you have been separate in thought, word, and deed. But as this chord is tied together, so shall your lives become intertwined. With this chord, I bind you to the vows that you have made to one another. With this knot, I tie you, heart to heart, together as one.May this love knot always be a reminder of the binding together of two hands, two hearts, and two souls into one. And so you are bound to one another, for all the days of your lives. (Officiate ties love knot)

And with the knot tied, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ian, you may kiss your bride.

THE OFFICIATE USED IN BOTH CEREMONIES WAS TERRI BREEDING SCHLAG. IF YOU ARE IN THE GREATER ATLANTA AREA AND ARE LOOKING FOR AN OFFICIATE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT HER:
https://www.facebook.com/terrischlag

I hope you all enjoyed this. Feel free to take anything from the wording you'd like. I pieced several different handfasting ceremony wordings I found in order to achieve this. I also just free wrote some to add in as well.

Tutu Mania!

2015-02-23T10:22:00.001-08:00

So everyone on Pinterest has been seeing the adorable homemade tutus that are "so cheap and easy" according to every pin description.

And, I can tell you, they are pretty easy to accomplish. It doesn't take a lot of skill. What it does take a lot of is:

Time

Patience

Tulle

First:

Determine what you want

Do you want a tutu that stands out like a ballerina?

Do you want a knee length tutu skirt? A full length one?

Do you want a tutu dress?

Do you want a tutu table skirt?

Second:

How big of an area are you covering?

Is it a baby?

Toddler?

Child?

Small adult?

Large adult?

Side table?

8' round?

12' rectangle?

Third:

How do you want it to attach?

Do you want it on a ribbon you can tie?

On elastic you can slip on?

A "tutu" top or headband?

Fourth:

Materials

Ok. So. Once you've answered your core questions you get to start to look for materials. I will tell you personally I've gotten things from China (eBay), save-on-crafts, & Joann fabric. There are TONS of places to look. Those are just my go-tos.

To give you an idea of how much tulle it truly takes I'll post my completed tutus below with approximate yards and time.

Custom "ballerina style" tutu skirt for infant and headband.

1 bolt of pink tulle

54" x 25 yards

1 spool of 2" zebra ribbon

1 baby headband

Time: about 2 hours

My neice's 1/2 birthday baby carrier skirt

This started out as an attempt at a table skirt. I ended up running out of tulle.

1 bolt (54"x25 yd) white tulle

1 bolt sky blue tulle

1 bolt pastel blue tulle

5 yards of 1/4" thick elastic.

Time: about 2 hours

Flower girl skirts

1 6 month floor length flowing skirt

1 6 year old floor length flowing skirt

2 yellow knit headbands

1 bolt (54"x25yd) stiff burgundy tulle

1 bolt normal burgundy tulle

2 large spools (6"x100yd)

2 yards burgundy lace cut in strips

Time: about 6 hours

Adult tulle skirt

4 bolts (54"x25yd) light pink tulle

2 bolt (54"x25yd) taupe tulle

1 large bolt (60"x40yd) ivory tulle

1 spool 2" ivory satin ribbon

Time: about 8 hours

This guy was a beast. I'm 5'7 and it was knee length. I'm a size 16 and it went around me. It was a MONSTER.

But it turned out beautifully for my boudoir shoot. ((Warning almost nudity. Covered boobs in hands.))

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******

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Close if you don't want to see my hold my boobs in my hands!

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Ok you were warned.

Good luck in all your tulle adventures!

Tell or show me your tulle tales in the comments!

DIY Flowers

2015-02-02T12:41:00.001-08:00

So as many of you may know, I'm a Floral Designer by trade. I did all of my own flowers for my wedding and would never suggest doing that, but if you're trying to save money and can handle the stress...I'm going to give you a tutorial.

First:

Decide what flowers you want.

Not all flowers are year round. Some are only in season certain months. Also, some only come in specific colors.

This site has a great list of lots of the flowers you can get in which colors and their names. It also has great pictures for sizing options as well:

https://weddingtips101.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/flower-names-by-color/

Second:

Check to see if they are available at the time of your wedding. There are two ways to do this. Google: x flower in (month you're getting married).

Or go straight to the websites that you will be ordering from and check to see if they have a month-month availability section once you've looked at that flower.

Third:

Find them and price them.

Locally: farmer's markets are great places to get flowers locally. Also, many Kroger stores will have a good quality and variety of flowers available for small bunches.

If you are buying in bulk there are some sites online that sell to the public (and that ice used and know are reputable)

Http://samsclub.com

Http://flowerexplosion.com

Http://fiftyflowers.com

If buying silk or dried flowers to add to your arrangements I suggest:

Save-on-crafts.com

Afloral.com

Etsy.com (and search for specific items. Read reviews before you buy, but I've had positive experiences with sellers on etsy).

Step Four

Order your flowers. Schedule the delivery for 2-3 days before your event so that your flowers have time to be delivered, come back to life, and be made into arrangements.

ARRIVAL DAY

As soon as your flowers are delivered bring them inside. Cut open the boxes they will look like this:

Use scissors or a knife to cut open the box and unwrap the flowers. They will be wrapped in plastic (and possibly also cardboard)

If wrapped in cardboard they may look something like this:

As you unwrap the plastic keep

The small pouches of "plant food." It will look like this (about the size of a tea bag):

Take this and add it to buckets or vases of water. I normally put mine either in 5 gallon buckets (from lowes or Home Depot), or spare vases if I want to keep them in smaller group:

Before you place the flowers in the water you need to take a few steps:

Remove all leaves that you know you don't want / will fall below the water line.

Cut the stem off at least two inches at an angle

This will allow the plant to soak up more of the nutrients and keep it alive longer.

If it is a flower that needs to "bloom" put it in sunlight.

If it doesn't need to bloom put it somewhere cool.

If you have a basement that can be a cool enough area. Or if you keep your house in the upper 60s that should be fine. They will live longer if kept cool.

DAY 2

So "Day 2" is after your flowers have had the opportunity to soak up the flower food and try to bloom out. If some still need to bloom leave them in sunlight while you work with others.

Arrangements such as bouquets can be made and put back into water afterward to stay alive. Remember to get fresh water and flower food before putting your arrangements into a container to give it maximum life.

I cut all of my arrangements with blunt ends. It doesn't give it as much ability to soak anything up, but it also keeps what was in there inside. So say you "dye" a flower. The food coloring the flower soaked up will stay in the flower after you cut from a pointed to a blunt end becaue you've stopped it from "going back out."

Arrangements that are completely wrapped in ribbon should not be put back in water. It wont do anything except get your ribbon wet. So put those in the fridge away from the cooling apparatus so they don't get freezer burnt.

Arrangements that are small such as Boutineers and corsages should also be kept in the fridge to stay fresh.

For more delicate flowers try to keep them cool for as long as possible (hydrangeas especially).

EVENT DAY

Take the flowers from wherever you are storing them and put them into something to carry. If they're in cases I generally use a clothes basket with towels weaved between the bases to keep them steady. Put cooled pieces inside a cooler bag (like you get at a grocery store) for transport.

Cooler bag from SAMs club

Once you arrive at the location put the arrangements either in a cooler or somewhere dark and cool until time for use. (Or if you're getting married in gal or winter and it's below 50 degrees outside you can leave them outside).

Don't forget to wipe off the ends of bouquets before handing them to he bride or bridesmaids (if they've been in water). And to put corsage pins with corsages and Boutineers so they can be attached easily.

If you have any questions or would like a price quote on what it would cost to have your wedding done by me visit: http://marlipaigefloral.com

Memory Table

2015-01-09T21:19:00.003-08:00

So, for my wedding (back two and a half months ago), I had wanted to do something to honor our families (and the lineage of love we both came from).

At another wedding I had done flowers for back in April, I saw a "memory table." Where she put photographs of family members who had passed on to honor them. So, I took this idea and tweaked it.

My Grandma and Grandpa (Maternal)

Ian's Paternal Grandparents

Ian's Maternal Grandparents

My parents

My Paternal Grandparents (Nanan and Papa)

Ian's Parents

My Aunt Sistie & Uncle Grady

So combining all of these old photographs (plus a recent one of Sistie and Grady's daughter (Claire's) wedding), I put together in frames (of various shapes and sizes but all white) a memory table.

In 8 x 10 frames: Our parents

In 5 x 7 frame: A photo of us

In 4 x 6 frames: grandparents, aunt/uncle, and cousin

In addition to the frames I added flower petals, candles, and a metal bird cage / lantern (that held a candle) and matched my 5x7 frame (both from IKEA).

I loved the way mine turned out, and I loved that I got to share the lineage of our love with all of our guests. If you've been looking for a special way to honor your family at your wedding, maybe considering a memory table should be on your to do list.

Items:

Birdcage Lantern. Ikea. $18

Wire Picture frame. Ikea. $5

8 x 10 Frame. Michaels'. $10 / each (clearance)

4x6 frames. Dollar Tree. $1 / each

Yellow Frame. Michael's. $2 (clearance bin)

Branches. Big Lots. $18

Candles. Hobby Lobby. $10 (set of 6)

Petals. Sams' Club.

Prints. Walmart.

4x6: $0.09 / each

5x7: $0.59 / each

8x10: $2.84 / each

Doable. Affordable. Beautiful.

Working from Home

2015-01-01T09:05:00.003-08:00

So, I've been "working from home" with my Floral Business for two years now. I start year 3 TODAY! But, I've been looking for other ways of income. Because...the floral business isn't a constant thing. Sometimes there are lots of weddings and sometimes there aren't any.

So, someone introduced me to "Instant Rewards." I'm an instant skeptic because I've been burned by Mary Kay, Arbonne, and other MLM and "get rich quick" schemes in the past. Generally speaking nothing good comes from someone saying they have a work from home job or a business opportunity on the internet. So, I started digging.

I typed "Instant Rewards" and "Instant Rewards Scam" And "Instant Rewards Complaints" and even on sites that usually contain nothing but scathing reviews like ripoff report...I found overwhelmingly positive responses. The people who had negative things to say said things like:
"It's a MLM SCAM!" but they didn't say why...
"They'll cheat you out of money!" But the company didn't do that. They were "cheated" by not canceling their free offers before the time limit was up.
"This is such a waste of time!" And i'm sure if you don't put any effort in (or minimal effort. Nothing happens without hard work) it probably is.

But my favorite response to those people was "If it's a scam it's not a very good one....they don't get any money from you...." and that's true. They are a marketing company. Their main goal is:
Get people to their site
Get people to sign up for free trials (or not free trials) of products or services
The companies that advertise with IR then pay IR for getting new customers in their door (hoping that either they like the product enough to stay, or that they forget the signed up and get charged).
And in return, IR pays you for your time.

It seems pretty simple right?

Everything I've seen and read makes it sound REALLY simple. I mean, it's not hard at all to sign up for things, try them out, and then cancel them if you don't want them. So where is the work?

You don't get paid for things YOU sign up for. You have to get others to sign up. That's where people call it Multi-Level-Marketing. IR calls it Turn-Key. The person who signed you up gets credit for you once you've completed "1 point" worth of offers (for example if you sign up for ancestry.com that's .05 points. And if you sign up for Free Credit 360 that's .25 points.). But after you've completed that "1 point" of offers...you can start signing people up and making money.

So the work comes in finding people to sign up. But Instant Rewards helps with that. They have training videos (like the one below) to help you understand and get started.
http://youtu.be/qiuxCF3oiXM

They offer posts that you can copy and paste onto sites like facebook or craigslist or any other site to share with people. And they give you your very own referral link (like mine: http://www.60.instantrewards.net/index.php?ref=630529 ) where they can sign up and give you credit for their products and services they sign up for.

So why am I telling you this? Because not only do I want to make money (hey, if you click my link and you complete the 1 point's worth of tasks, I get $$), but also, I know how hard this economy is and how hard it is to find ways to make money...and I want YOU to make money too! I know that sounds like such a crock, but it's true. I've been jobless (traditional working for someone else jobs) for two years. Making ends meet with your own business that fluctuates like flowers is HARD. If I didn't have my husband, I don't know how I'd make ends meet. But this is something that I can do, I can set my own hours for, make money on my own time and terms, and have a semi-constant income on top of my flowers.

There is no membership fee. You don't pay to sign up. You don't pay a monthly fee. You don't pay Instant Rewards anything EVER. You simply pay for the products and services you try out (or put in credit card information and still get it free as long as you cancel before the 'free trial' is up). That's it. You pay for what you use. And all businesses require start up costs....just think about even getting a new job at an office...you might need pens or notebooks, new clothes that were business appropriate...this isn't any different (or maybe even cheaper). I only bought things that I thought I'd use (or wanted anyway), and then I signed up for the free offers that I'll cancel before their time runs out (you have to use it 75-90% of the trial time). And then, when others sign up under me, I'll get money deposited directly into my PayPal account. It is literally that simple.

So, sign up, look around, try it out. You really don't have anything to lose. Do your own research if you want. Try to find negative and positive reviews. Weigh the odds. But...in the end, I think you'll realize (like I did) that you have so much to gain from at least trying to make this work. And NOTHING to lose.

So sign up by clicking my link:
http://www.60.instantrewards.net/index.php?ref=630529

Sorry. I've been away.

2014-12-06T21:18:00.001-08:00

Im Sorry, I fell off the face of the earth. I'm going to try to get back to trying out things and reviewing again.

I've been a little busy

I now work full time for myself

Http://marlipaigefloral.com

I do wedding and event flowers and planning. I also do non-event flowers, but to date it's been weddings and a corporate event.

Speaking of weddings...I HAD MINE!

And of course (crazily) did my own flowers.

Photos courtesy of my photographer, julie Adams of Adamson Photography (http://julieanddavidphoto.com ) and bob Schlag, personal friend, and owner of a bright arrow Photography.

I will make individual posts about some of the process of the wedding. As well as start back on non-wedding posts as well.

Love

MarliPaige

Christmas Cards

2014-12-06T21:15:00.001-08:00

I'm So, it's the most wonderful time of the year again, and that means CHRISTMAS CARDS! My husband is not as enthusiastic as I am. Apparently he had to hand sign them every year, and his mom sent out quite a few. He was ambivalent when I told him he didn't have to sign, just have his photo on the card.

Nonetheless and not withstanding, Christmas cards are some of my FAVORITE things! Whether they're store bought, hand made, digitally made, whatever. I love them!

So I looked all over the net for Christmas card deals. They abound, so, no worries if your aren't made yet. The card I wanted was at http://shutterfly.com and I made them during a promotion where I got 25% off my purchase and expedited shipping for the cost of the lowest level ($14.99). Expedited was "guaranteed" by 12/10, but they came 12/5, just two days after I ordered. I was really pleased.

So, if you're looking for quality cards and a helpful interface, I recommend them highly. I also just used them for my wedding book. So, they are on my praise list at the moment.

Here's just a cell phone snapshot of how ours turned out.

Trust me when I say these iphone pics don't do It any justice. They're amazing quality in person. Plus, I love the adorable pun. "Having ourselves a MARRIED little Christmas." Adorable.

On a less happy note, I've seen floating around the net stories of a six year old girl, dying of cancer, who is asking for Christmas cards for her last Christmas. I can't imagine the heartbreak she and her family are going through, But I can share the story and her address. Because te outpouring of love trough these cards...may be just what she and her family need to have some peace this Christmas.

Engagement Photos

2014-08-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

All credit for photos goes to Julie and David Adamson of Adamson Photography. If you live in the greater Atlanta area and are looking for a quality wedding photographer, I highly recommend them.

"family" photos (with Bailey)

Soulmates

Nerds

Lovey

Silly

Italia at Home [Inspired by Gordon Ramsey]

2013-09-25T18:56:00.002-07:00

So lately I've been on a cooking kick. And because of this I have successfully devoured the 10 seasons of Hell's Kitchen I previous had not seen ( I watched 11 as it aired this year), and I also watched all of MasterChef this year. The one thing that Gordon seems to spend more time yelling about than anything else is Risotto.

Seriously, the man screams about it constantly. And I thought to myself "well, if he's so hell bent on everybody knowing how to make the shit, I will learn!"

Having NEVER attempted risotto in my life, and having only the brief knowledge of what I'd watched people cook on tv (and a glance at a few online recipes) I embarked on my risotto quest.

With this image firmly implanted in my mind:

I began

Mushroom Risotto with Caprese Salad

What you need:

Basmati Rice

Stock (chicken, vegetable, whatever)

Butter

Olive Oil

Mushrooms

Onions

Scallions

White Wine

Garlic

Salt

So I started with two pans the first with Basmati Rice (washed) and two ladles worth of vegetable stock. I then proceeded to add another ladle every time it didn't look 'wet' anymore while stirring.

In the other pan I sautéed olive oil, minced garlic, chopped onions, and scallions until they were caramelized.

I then put them in a separate container to the side.

In that same pan I then added 1/2 stick of butter, mushrooms (chopped) and sautéed

After they were cooked I then threw the onion/garlic/scallion mix back into the pan and stirred. I then topped it off with half a cup of white wine.

By this time my risotto finally looked fluffy (and didn't taste crunchy)

I poured the contents of one pan into the other.

Stirred.

Vwallah!

It turned out PRETTY DAMN GOOD. I was proud.

Yes chef!

To die for tomato soup

2013-09-25T18:40:00.003-07:00

So I've been very domestic lately with my new found lover boy. I've had the urge to cook and clean constantly and once again experiment with food.

So, not feeling 100% I wanted tomato soup. However, I'd rather die than eat that tomato paste in a can Campbell's crap filled with preservatives.

Here's what you need:

A dozen ripe tomatoes

Basil (fresh)

4 oz Cream Cheese (half package)

2 Tbs olive oil

1 large onion

2 cups (1/2 box) of vegetable stock (could also use chicken or beef)

1.5 Tbs minced garlic

Salt & Pepper to taste

Ok, easy peasy.

Get a big soup pot and put the stock in. Put on high while you chop tomatoes. I just diced mine.
Throw tomatoes into the broth
When they're both boiling turn down to medium
Put lid on

In a separate pan:
put olive oil in pan and let heat
chop large onion and add to pan with garlic
Reduce to medium and stir vigorously.

Once you start to get some color on your onions add about 2 leaves of finely chopped basil.
Reduce to med-low heat.

Let that cook down. (this takes maybe 2 minutes. Don't do it long enough to let anything burn)

Add the 1/2 package, 4 oz of cream cheese (can use full fat, 1/3 less fat, whatever) cubed or softened.

Stir and cook until thoroughly mixed.
Remove from heat.
Pour in tomato/broth mixture.
Stir until mixed.

I then gave two cranks on my salt mill
Then one on my pepper mill (i'm not a huge pepper person)
Put the top back on and set it between medium and medium low.
Cook for 45 minutes.

Should smell like tomato soup when you take it off. Everything should look like (slightly chunky) tomato soup. If it doesn't, put the lid back on and give it a few more minutes. Feel free to crank up the heat a little at the end if you need to. But make sure to stir if you do.

Finally, remove from heat. Take handheld blender (like the old-timey milkshake blenders) and blend the chunks of tomato until smooth.

I made crescents with fresh mozzarella inside because who wants tomato soup without a grilled cheese?

An Old Fashioned Baby Shower [Card]

2013-09-17T20:25:00.002-07:00

Keeping with my Bestie's love of all things vintage and shabby chic (and because I found these great planters at Goodwill, her mom and I have decided to throw her a vintage baby shower.

I'll put pictures up of everything as it comes together, but first and foremost, I am so proud of my two vintage cards that I changed to make look like her and her husband. I'll show the original and my edits.

If you're wondering how I did it...two softwares: GIMP and FotoFlexer. GIMP is an online, free to download photoshop-light that allows you to add layers. And FotoFlexer is an online free to use editing software that I've been using for years.

The Original Card

Beautiful, touching, but she does NOT have black hair

So Gimp:

Use the lasso tool to select the area you want to recolor

Go to: Layer: Add new layer

Pick the color that you want to recolor it

Use the fill bucket

In most cases you then go to the layer menu and select mode from "normal" to "overlay." HOWEVER, if your color is lighter than the original, that doesn't work.

So I chose mode as "lighten only"

Looks a little unnatural. But not TOO bad.

I then went back to "layer" and merged down the layers together and saved it / exported it.

The I went to fotoflexer.com

I uploaded the image

I selected the "effects" tab

Then "tint" and chose a light pink color to tint the entire image.

It took away the starkness of the orange hair, and it gave it a beautiful vintage feel.

Second card:

She and her hubby both have red hair. His is more blonde with a little red and a redish beard. Hers is red red.

Found this adorable brunette couple and a baby card:

Gorgeous but they're not brunette.

So off to gimp:

So Gimp:

Use the lasso tool to select the area you want to recolor

Go to: Layer: Add new layer

Pick the color that you want to recolor it

(I picked an bright orange/red for her hair)

Use the fill bucket

Go to the layer menu and select mode from "normal" to "overlay."

Tada! Hers looks great.

Merge layers.

His hair: trickier.

I once again do the

So Gimp:

Use the lasso tool to select the area you want to recolor

Go to: Layer: Add new layer

But here's where I have to change it up.

I add four new layers, all of the cutout of his hair.

The first layer I made very light blonde and picked "Lighten Only"

Then I combined the two.

The second layer I made a darker blonde

"overlay"

The third layer a light red "overlay"

The fourth layer a medium red "overlay."

Pick the color that you want to recolor it

Merge them all.

You get this:

Not bad, but he has a beard.

I google beard drawings.

I pick one:

I go to fotoflexer and use the "smart cutout" tool to leave ONLY the beard and no background.

I then "tint" the beard:

Tada! Now I layer it over the original picture and I erase off the extra edges and tilt it to fit.

Tada! I made an Aliya & Cody vintage card!

If you want to make the vintage cards you love look like the people you love feel free to use my techniques. And if you don't know what to do for something you can always ask me or google is your friend. And because Gimp and FotoFlexer are both free you can play around on them as long as you want until you get your desired result.

Tangled in progress

2013-08-06T13:26:00.001-07:00

So my Tangled cosplay is continuing to be a giant pain the neck. It's literally going to cause pain in my neck because my wig weighs 20 lbs.

That's what mine looks like at this point in time. It may be drastically changed before it's over and done with. I kind of don't like the way it's looking. And it has to have combs and fasteners secured in there because it can't stay on my head the way it is.

As far as the costume itself I have the dress (almost done). It needs her front dark purple panel, the outer design, and lace at the collar and hem. Then I just need to make the sleeves....

got the fabric and cut it in strips

pinned the pieces together

8 pieces pinned for each sleeve cap (the poof part). Now I just need to sew and stuff.

Navy & Coral Crazy

2013-07-30T23:18:00.001-07:00

Navy and Coral seem to be two big colors of the moment, and so to go along with my coral dress and navy cardigan I made a navy and coral eye makeup today.

Things I used:

Ulta brand blue eyeshadow palate

NYC neutral shadow palate (it's the "green eye" eye specific shadow palate)

CoverGirl three shade coral blush

Falsies "Big Eyes" Mascara

Black ELF liquid liner

Ulta Brush Set

& An Eyelash Curler (any will do)

Step by step in photos:

Put a neutral color all over the eye

Use straight edge brush for navy in crease

Use soft edge brush to spread darkest pink of blush over eyelid

Line top lid

Line half of bottom lid

Use medium pink on straight edge brush to seal liner

(go lightly around the eyeliner. Try not to go OVER it, but just around it)

Use lightest pink in the inside corner of lid

Use top "big eyes" mascara brush on top lashes

Use bottom brush on bottom lashes

Go back over top lashes with bottom brush

Curl lashes

Just to show the difference & amazingness in this tiny mascara bottle. The two sized wands are AMAZING. Left eye - done. Right eye - done except no mascara. Look at what a difference it makes! This stuff is my new fave.

Nails

2013-07-30T21:36:00.001-07:00

It's summer. And I'm having a hello kitty-gasm lately. So I decided to mix my favorite summer yummy with HK. Strawberry Nails and toes and a Hello Kitty accent thumb.

Just paint the full nail a cute pinkey color. I used Sinful Colors Professional Island Coral. Then small black dots (Kiss nail art paint in black). And Milani Nail Art Green Sketch for the "leaves".

Hello Kitty Accent Nail:

White - Revlon nail art dual tip expressionist. White on one end black on the other.

Whiskers and eyes - Revlon nail art dual tip ( the black side)

Nose - Orly "Hook Up"

Bow - Revlon Nail Art Expressionist dual tip "Pinkasso"

And for bottom and top coat:

Sally Hansen dual duty top and base coat

Cleaning Out, Making Food

2013-07-23T20:10:00.003-07:00

So in an effort to have to move as little food as possible I'm trying to use up everything I can in my fridge, freezer, and pantry. So I decided to tackle two of the pinterest recipes that I had pinned forever ago with that in mind:

First...

http://pinterest.com/marlipaige/recipees/

That's my board for all things food.

Next, the actual recipes:

http://pinterest.com/pin/141089400796337077/

Crock Pot Pizza Casserole

Gonna be honest, I cheated. I didn't want to wait for a crock pot so I cooked my pasta, cooked down the meat some (but not all the way through), mixed together with onions and tomato sauce (I'm not a pepper or pepperoni person), and then I put all of them in little baking dishes and put mozarella on top. Then I just popped them in the oven while my cake (next recipe) was baking).

http://pinterest.com/pin/141089400799398750/

Berry Bubbles Cake

I used about 2 cups of frozen berries, 1 cake mix, and 1 bottle of the blackberry flavored "sparkling ice" because it's what I had here in my house.

350 for 30 minutes just like a normal cake. And it was still liquidy. So I left it another 30 minutes....and....it still wasn't cooked all the way through. But it was mostly cooked just a little gooey in the middle, and since it had nothing like eggs in it I didn't mind. I actually sort of liked the gooey center. I melted some ice cream in there and just made it super gooey. It was marvelous. Reminded me a lot of my Nanan's "dump cake" that had pears and blueberries growing up. I really loved it.

So freaking busy!

2013-07-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

So between trying to find a job, moving, writing for myself as well as blogs over at Biscuette.com and still for Lyrics Undercover, I am FREAKING BUSY!

In between packing I've started frequenting goodwill for new stuff for baby girl Johnson, who (I am still tickled pink) is a girl. Had someone tell me this week I really needed to be using Ebates for all of my online buying. So, I signed up, and it seems pretty cool. Unfortunately, I can't buy my ebay goodies through it, but for normal shopping, it's great.

While doing my constant Goodwill trips I found a serious gem! An almost complete set of "My Book House" children's anthology.

These are the "white and rainbow" 1971 version. I'm missing book 3, actually, but otherwise, I have the whole set. $1.50 per book, so $16.50 for the set, and as best I can tell they're worth between $70 and $150. So...THAT WAS A GOOD BUY!

Also started on my Dragoncon costume (assuming I get to go. If not, It'll be halloween).

http://pinterest.com/marlipaige/costumes-sewing/

That's my link to the costumes that I'm working on, want to work on, find adorable, etc. But I've decided upon Rapunzel from Tangled. I love doing kid-inspired things because I just love how little kids want to take pictures with you. So...I decided to go the disney route.

Got a wig, 150 cms, and then some extra "extensions" to try and make the braid big enough. Have a pink daisy chain, and I've got ebay offers in on lots of blooms to do the hair.

The coloring may be different on my dress. I already have a dark purple corset I'm going to use for the corseted part...so the top and bottom will probably be reversed color scheme wise. I've been working on a light purple bottom, dark purple corset, and I'm going to get gold or tan cording for the lacing of the corset. Then I'll just need to make the poofy sleeves, lace around the collar, sheer sleeves, and lace at the end. I will update as I get it put together.

I waited almost too long to get started on it, but I think I can pull it together pretty effectively in the next month.

In addition to all of that I still have to finish packing, move Sunday, and find a real job.

I also (can't help it) have been starting planning toward Aliya's baby shower.

http://pinterest.com/marlipaige/showers/

That has not only her bridal shower stuff, but also the stuff for the baby shower. Her theme for the nursery is "Flower Fairies" so...there's a lot of that in there.

So that's my life at the moment.

The Neverending T-Shirt Quilt

2013-07-10T00:52:00.000-07:00

So I started this T-shirt quilt with such good intentions. I started pinning everything together when I realized....how the hell am I gonna sew this monstrosity?

So an fyi before you start yours that NOBODY tells you:
DO THEM IN ROWS!

Lay everything out on the floor that you want to use and arrange it accordingly then go in rows.

Let's say that these squares are all the different pieces of t-shirt that you've laid out exactly how you want. I know it's not even, neither is my blanket.

Next you need to make a general schematic of how you want your "rows" to be. Mine are still not 100% even, but they are in manageable rows!

Now only pin things together that are in the same "row". Then sew row by row.

When you're done you can then lay it back down, pin the sewed rows together, and sew again.

Nobody tells you to break that up when you're looking at doing one of these!

But if you don't you just end up with a lot of bulk to try and sew at one time and a plethora of straight pins sticking you in the thighs. It's not pretty.

This is what it looks like thus far. It's still a work in progress. Only part of it is sewed. The other is just pinned:

It's gonna be freaking huge.

But yeah...rows...they're your friends. Take my word for it.

More soon!

Updating Thrift Shop Goodies

2013-07-07T22:32:00.002-07:00

So everyone loves a bargain. I love goodwill because it is great at that. However, sometimes your bargain buys aren't EXACTLY what you wanted. I found that to be true of my $3 lamp.

See? Just not pretty. Plain, bland, blah.

I started with glittering the top screw:

Fill bowl with blue and purple glitter (it's what I had)

cover top in mod podge (that's what the little dobber in there was for)

and roll around in there. And you get this!

Prettyful!

Ok, step two: the lamp shade.

I had music note fabric that I loved and have been looking for a reason to use.

It came from IKEA. You could buy it by the yard, and i got some remnant pieces for cheaper.

So I put a bead of hot glue along the rim of one side and pressed the fabric in.

Then I would continue on all four sides until they were secure.

Then glue excess on the insides of the top and bottom of the shade.

You can see how it's glued inside the top of the shade over the edge.

I layered the fabric different ways on different sides to create the desired effect.

And then I made an adorable little bow with a resin rose on it and glued that sucker on the front!

(I may or may not go back at some point and glue ribbon around it)

But for now. SO much cuter than it was! I no longer hate it, and I now have light.

Aunt Mar Mar

2013-07-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

So fair warning, my bestie found out she's having a little girl today. So be prepared for the landslide of baby girl pins I might be trying in the near future. If you have a baby coming to you or someone you know and thought "hmm, wonder if that works" feel free to email me: marli@marlipaige.com and suggest pins for me to try out!

First off: I NEED THIS for her. It's $22 and I feel like I could make it for less than that. But I shall find a way to make something with this type logo on it. Tardis + Bow = Hello Sweetie the perfect meshing of doctor who and hello kitty. I mean, c'mon what can be better than that?

So, more to come! But seriously, suggest!

T-Shirt Quilt

2013-07-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone and their mother has seen the adorable t-shirt quilts that everyone is making out of old ill-fitting (or just scratchy) t-shirts that you saved forever! I finally got my butt in gear and started putting mine together.

I cut up 11 shirts and 2 custom bags that were broken thus far. I'm still looking for about 5 or 6 more shirts.

I liked the t-shirt quilts that sort of had a more hodge podge look to them. I wasn't as much a fan of all the perfectly cut squares. So mine is NOT perfect.

I decided I wanted to start with my center square as the bag that was monogrammed with my puppy on it. It says "Bailey" and has his sweet little stitched picture on it.

So from there I just started placing things around it. I put my AOII letter shirt to the right, I <3 above="" act="" and="" below="" competition="" dr="" it.="" it="" left="" my="" nickname="" one="" p="" shirt="" the="" to="" who="">
Then I just kind of made areas that were for certain subjects. Sorority stuff went one way, theatre stuff another, nerdy stuff another. Then I mixed in my two band tees in and the APO bag my big brother made for me (because it was very broken). Now, I've got two prom shirts, several letter shirts, and a few more theatre shirts that I'm aware of still need to be added. But it's looking good so far!