we're gonna party like it's your birthday...

today is a special day. 

It's my friend Katie's birthday!  My friend Katie...she totally gets me...except my love of my birthdays...and her not so much love of her birthdays.  Here's a blog about why I love Katie, why you should love Katie, and why Katie should love her birthday :)

I met Katie in 2004 right when I was about to graduate from college.  She moved up here from Florida to be an youth intern at the church I was an intern at.  This meant we lived together and worked together.  Sometimes I get in "my life is just too busy to be friends with anyone" mode.  This is how I was when Katie moved in.  She didn't stand for it.  She made me sit down and talk to her and we've been bestie's ever since.

It's why I love Katie.  She always pushes me to be a better person...to love more, to laugh more...to not wear overalls as much...
In the past 7 years she has taught me...
that my faith should be my own faith
how awesome publix subs are
baggage from the past can help mold you and mature you into the person God created you to be
sonic ice is a treasure
hugs are ok
quality time with friends is priceless
dancing is always a must
God truly does put people in your life to simply love you for who you are

see Katie...this is why you love birthdays.  People say awesome things about you on your birthday!

I hope this year is full of life, love, and other mysteries...that you can catch some Dawson's Creek episodes in there, we can spend holidays together, sing some Kelly Clarkson, give me some fashion advise, work jobs that you love with awesome people, travel to a fun place, have many wonderful days full of naps and watching TV, go to hip hop class, and that you daily realize how much people love you and how much God continues to use you to mentor, encourage, and love others.  Happy Birthday! LYLAS!

it happened again...

pretty much 4 years ago (and about a week) my dog...then just a few months old, had to have surgery b/c he ate an entire plush toy.  20 stitches later, he was ok.  In the blog post I wrote about it then, I mentioned he may do it again.  Turns out...he did.

My dog, Bauer, he likes to eat socks and underwear.  He's pretty cool like that.  Typically he will eat it (by eat, I mean swallow the entire thing while you are yelling at him not to eat it) and 2 days later throw it up.  It's a cool trick. not this time.  this time he ate a sock...he didn't throw it up...it got all the way to his colon and began causing problems.  After a trip to the ER, pain meds, an IV, and surgery...the sock is out and he is recovering.  We hope to pick him up this afternoon.

oh...and I'm getting married THIS MONTH!!!!

kitchen colors

As you saw from my country kitchen post...I'm not afraid of colors in the kitchen.  It's a good thing because I'm pretty sure I registered for one or more of every color in the fiestaware...and we've just about got all of them.

Last spring we got some cute hand towels in at hallmark that I thought would be the perfect touch for Josh's kitchen...

My very talented and recently married friend Caitlin made this SUPER CUTE kitchen towel for me for Christmas.  Obviously she knows my taste b/c it matches perfectly with the towels we already had up in the kitchen.

I just love all the color! and of course the bunting...

luggage

Are you married? did you get new luggage when you got married?  I kind of just thought that was something everyone did.  Or maybe since I'd had my lime green duffle bag with my name on it for 11 years I thought it was time for something more "adult."  Either way...I wanted new luggage.

Josh...being a boy...felt like what he had would do just fine...so we compromised.  I got an extra-large duffle/suitcase and he got a nice new carry-on messenger bag.  win/win.  My trusty lime green duffle came from LLBean...after 11 years... traveling to Australia and back, moldova and back multiple times, youth camps and vacations ...she's still in great shape.  No tears, no seams coming a part, nothing wrong.  So, I went with LLBean again.

The Quick Load collection...

I got the Upright Duffle, Extra Large

and josh gets the Messanger Bag

mantle monogram

Our mantle is currently a work in progress. slowly but surely I'll just resolve to having it be officially SPRING in the Drake house, but it's still February and I have issues with that.  For the meantime here is what I am working with...

I got this orange vase/pitcher/heaviest decoration ever at my Hallmark Shower last month.  It's an item we've had in the store.  I like the structure and size and I figured Josh would like the color so we both win!

josh, he loves me...and buys me fresh daisies! see...baby steps towards spring!

and the bird vase...a mantle staple.

Lele made these fabric colored letters for us for our shower and the "D" is from anthropologie.

put them all together and you get something like this...

I like all the pieces separately but it still isn't a cohesive project yet.  I'll figure it out soon enough, but for now...we are counting down to the official start date of that monogram on the mantle.

what a weekend!

whew... i've got lots to post about but want to just let you look at these fun pictures that describe the fun-ness that was this weekend!!!

thursday...baby olive was born!

now it's a sweet little family of 4!

and then Saturday these two were married!!!

(their photographer took this picture...not me)

I'll be back later with more crafts and more Olive pictures, but wanted to put these up for now!

and they're off...

...I mean out...the invitations!!! I mailed them out this past weekend!  Just in case everyone hasn't seen them yet I'll only give you all a sneak peek...

it's been fun to finally have people see them after working on them for so long.  apparently people are excited...we've gotten RSVPs back the past two days and have 50 "YES" and 1 "NO."