Wedding Wednesday: The Ceremony Part 2

Oh boy, I certainly have missed my Wedding Wednesday posts the past couple of weeks. I'm also pretty sure you've all been waiting in anticipation since I broke up the ceremony into two posts...then didn't post until now! Sorry guys! 

If you only happen to come by my blog on Wednesdays to look at my wedding posts (which, I totally wouldn't blame you), then you aren't up to date on what's been going on. Reading this and this will catch you up to speed. 

Our ceremony was pretty short and after my brother in laws read their passage, we began our vows. Our officiant, Susan, is a very special lady to us. She was on the panel of Ohio State Alumni who gave me my scholarship. She always made sure to keep in touch with me and, excitedly, wanted to meet Iman. After we had dinner with her we knew that we wanted to ask her. 

She had done one ceremony before ours and she was the best person we could have picked for the job.

Iman and I did not write our own vows. I knew Iman might freeze up because he thinks he isn't good with words (he actually really is but gets nervous so easily.) We found some vows online and altered them a little bit together. We printed them on paper and I held the mic while Iman read his vows. 

I, of course, couldn't hold my own paper to read the vows because I was shaking so bad. I think I mentioned before that I started shaking before the ceremony and didn't stop until our wedding photos. I was filled with so much emotion that my body was just shaking. I couldn't read the paper that I was holding because of this and we had to switch. This led to a good laugh and everyone aw-ing in the crowd. That's when this picture was snapped. Just a bundle of emotions. 

One of my favorite parts of our ceremony was when Susan began our pronouncement: 

"In marriage we not only say, 'I love you today,' but also, 'I promise to love you for all of our tomorrows.' "

Of course, Iman couldn't just kiss me right away. My silly man and his games. As she told us that we could kiss, he got his goofy grin on his face and afterward everyone said "typical Iman." He's always teasing me and it makes me smile that he wasn't all serious on our wedding day.

Finally! The kiss!!! 

SO MANY EMOTIONS

Walking back down the aisle was a little bit of a blur. We knew where we were supposed to walk, but we ended up almost going the wrong way. This picture with all of the smiling faces makes me so happy. 

I love this picture below of the two of us, sharing a kiss, post wedding as thei prepare our marriage certificate. Everyone was just standing around as this part was happening and I remember feeling overwhelmed, trying to do everything and spinning in circles and then Iman just leaned in for this kiss and everything was still.

All photos courtesy of Holly Lynn Photography

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How to Host a Kick-Ass Baby Girl Shower

I'm so excited to share my cousin's baby shower with you! the feedback I got on the trifle, was awesome, and I hope you guys love the rest of this baby shower! It was so much fun to plan! 

First things first, don't stress out about it. You don't have to do crazy DIY crafts OR spend a ton of money to have a kick-ass baby shower. We did neither. Most of our supplies are from the 99 cent store, the Dollar store or Target.

I made the obligatory awesome it's a girl sign.

I found the polka dot banner at Target and purchased a black poster board at the Dollar Tree  The black paper is totally cut uneven, but you can't tell, so don't stress about being a perfectionist!

This sign board is SO cool, and was super easy to make. My cousin's friend made it for her. She got the letters and the pregnant lady from Michael's scrapbook section. She modgepodged them onto a canvas. Everyone happened to sign on the outskirts and now she can put a picture of an ultrasound there! 

My  cousin thought it would be so much fun for us all to guess the baby's birth day so we picked up supplies (again, Dollar Tree, except the stamps are from Michael's) and set this up.

My cousin's friend also made this amazing diaper cake! I just can't wrap my head around them. She used bottles on the inside.

I knew I really wanted this coloring station. I printed out the alphabet (just by Googling a free printable) for everyone to color a page and sign it. I am going to take the pages to Staples or somewhere, and bind them together into a book for the baby. 

I think it will be the best book for the baby to read! Speaking of books, we also chose to ask everyone to bring a book instead of a card for the baby. We wanted to start building the baby's library early, and hopefully, everyone wrote in the book so she'll have a note from us all!

The table pieces were super cool to make. My aunt does a lot of canning, so we just used some of her jars and put ribbon arond them and rubber duckies in the water! 

The pink vase is from the 99 cent store and we have a really awesome flower store where my mom picked up the flowers.

We purchased a photobooth prop kit from Michael's. It was a hit, especially with the little kids! We taped the sticks onto the back because it was easier.

I am so obsessed with the prizes I made. We got these glasses at Michael's and I perused the 99 cent store for prizes. We found nail stickers, a ducky loofah and picture frames. We tied a ribbon around it and set it up to look like this. It was SO easy but looks so nice.

My aunt had these awesome pitchers for drinks. We wanted to do pink-ish drinks (obviously) so we did pink lemonade and cucumber watermelon water. The cups and napkins are from the 99 cent store and the straws are from Michael's.

My trifle!!! Let me tell you the story behind this trifle in particular. Some days, making a trifle is my original intention, but occasionally it is what has to happen. The week before my cousin's baby shower was the week that I had my breakdown. Baking generally helps me calm down, so I excitedly started to bake a zebra cake. Of course, I was worried about decorating it, but felt like I couldn't really fail. 

The cake directions were best suited for a circle cake, but I made it in my 9x13 pan, which would have been totally fine except I forgot to adjust the time and the bottom of the cake burned. Seriously, if your cake burns, you don't have to throw the whole thing out. You can cut off the burnt portion. Now, if you burn the cake and it falls out of the pan in pieces...Just turn it into a trifle. 

My aunt had some left over angel food cake, so we put the two together. 

I layered the angel food cake on the bottom and whipped cream on top. Then I layered crumbled zebra cake on top. I put my amazing filling on top. (If you didn't already see it, mix heavy whipping cream with pudding mix instead of milk for the most amazing filling). I mixed edible pink glitter into the filling because, why not!   Following that, I put  more angel food cake followed by pink frosting. I also put whipped cream on top and more edible glitter!

The trifle dish is actually a cake stand that can be converted. Best invention ever (my cake stand doesn't convert). I put a handmade tutu around the bottom. My dear friend Stacey at Bows and Bombshells made it for me! She made the skull applique herself. 

The coloring pages were a hit! We included the games that I highlighted in the baby boy baby shower I threw in January. 

Have you ever thrown a baby shower? If you're looking for unique ideas, feel free to pin away! 

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Weekly Wishes + Back to School Giveaway

This is my first time doing weekly wishes and I'm super excited about it!

I want to thank everyone who participated in Five Little Grins. I am still writing down the things that make me happy throughout the week, Cassi and I just decided we wanted to move on to write about other things on Mondays. 

I love Melyssa from The Nectar Collective and her Monday link up. I think that it will help me to focus and feel less overwhelmed with my week plans. 

Here are my first week's goal: 

1// Figure out this anxiety thing. I've got a psych appt and lab tests (to make sure it's not my thyroid). My next step is to set up an appointment with a therapist. I need to find one who is on my insurance.

2// Clean our bedroom. I did our guest bedroom about a week or so ago, and we have ALL clean clothes (which, my best friend folded for me on Thursday while I was taking care of my mom because she's a freaking amazing human being)

3// Put fresh flowers in our dining room and light candles. I think this will help with my anxiety.

4// Go to yoga three times, and attempt the gym once. I gotta work slow on this apparently. 

______________

I'm only about a month away from starting school, hence the Back to School giveaway below! I can't believe I will begin my second year teaching, and Iman will be going back to school. For all of my readers who are going back to school, I hope you have a wonderful year back! I can't believe it's been 2 years since I've graduated college and 7 since I left for Ohio to live in the dorms! 

I made wonderful friends, but I definitely missed my friends back home. That's why I'm giving a way stationary in the College is Love giveaway! You can definitely keep in touch with your friends back home while you make new friends!

Sponsors (in no particular order): 

Amanda at College is Love  / Shontal at The Preppy Scientist / Pam at Hodge Podge Moments / Raewyn at Be A Warrior Queen / A-List Greek Designs / Dani at Dani's Transformation / Chloe at Wanderlust in the Midwest / Beth at Wandering Forevermore / Melanie at LillyRockPark / Kaliah Kouture / Denise at Twirls + Pearls / Lindsay  at The Chicago Prep / Loren at MyDamselPro / Aleshea at Glitz n' Gritz / Lauren at Bubbs Bowtique / Amanda at Brunette with a Bow / Katherine at Preppy Bows & Sass

Prizes include gift cards to: Amazon, Marley Lilly, Thirty-One Gifts, A-List Designs, and Pura Vida as well as a work out tank, 2 Revlon Parfumerie nail polish, a large Lilly Pulitzer Agenda, Monorgram or Lilly earrings, 2 bangles from Twirls + Pearls, a custom state canvas, pepper spray/personal alarm, Vera Bradley ID Holder, Kate Spade Notepad, 2 bows, custom nail polish, custom painted letter, stationary and a Preppy Bows & Sass package. 

Back-To-School Giveaway



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Weekly Warrior Queen Links #3

Good morning from lovely Las Vegas!!

I am so excited about these links that I've been compiling throughout the week. I love all of your feedback on this as well!!! I hope you enjoy these links I've found below. I feel so much more WQ empowered when I'm searching out these links, and I hope these articles and blogs help you feel more like a WQ as well!
p.s. I may have gone a little crazy but each of these links are worth it, I promise!

What do you do to be more confident? Check out these 5 tips to boost yours.

How do you feel about your self-worth? Warrior Queens are all about embracing their self-worth!

Don't mind me, I'm just getting obsessed with this Vlogger and the way she explains feminism to celebrities. 

Do you perpetuate these 8 lies about teen motherhood? I wrote a little something about this a few months ago.

This app could save a Domestic Abuse Victim's life. What do you think about it?

Join Coming Up Roses' "I Am" movement. You know I'm a sucker for any self-love, empowerment movements!

Meredith Graves blows me away with this line: "So in my body is a good place to be because functionally speaking, I know at the end of the day that it's the only home I've ever had and it's the only home I ever will have"

A Message From a Bully-er. This is something that you don't usually hear and really makes you think.

I need to print all of these quotes and put them around the world. 


Have a wonderful day!


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An Update on my Mom

Hi guys!

I'm about to leave for Vegas in a little bit, but I wanted to thank everyone for all of the support!! You guys are absolutely amazing. Thank you, thank you thank you!!

My mom's surgery started late yesterday but everything went very well and according to plans. Now she is just recovering. (Don't worry, I'm not abandoning her for Vegas, she is able to do everything on her own, we already prepped a bunch of meals for her and my aunts are coming over).

Again, I can't thank you guys enough!

a Rafflecopter giveaway




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When Anxiety Gets Unbearable

On Monday, I mentioned an appointment next week for anti-anxiety medicine and I am very excited but also very nervous. As you might recall, I have written about anxiety often, including the quote from my friend about it being a chemical imbalance.

I believe that anxiety medicine can be necessary for some people and is very helpful in living life at a lower frequency level. I plan on searching for more alternative solutions, as well. As of now, I would not want to stay on anti-anxiety medicine indefinitely, but I do not know exactly how the medicine will affect me. My friends and family tell me that it makes it so that everything is easier to deal with.

I know that my high anxiety is not a constant thing, although it has reached an all time high. I have noticed that some of my OCD is stronger lately, as well. I am getting frustrated easier and Iman is doing his best to help me feel calm. What a wonderful husband to help me through this within our first three months of marriage. P.s. It was 3 months on Saturday!!

Tough Talks: Dealing with Breast Cancer

This is a really difficult blog post for me to write, so please forgive me if it seems all over the place. In simpler words, we are lucky, lucky that my mom only has stage one cancer, but it is still cancer, nonetheless.

At the beginning of the month, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. We do not have it in our family history, so for us it came out of left field. We waited ever so patiently (anxiously) until her appointment last week when they told her it was stage 1.

Their next plan of action was simply to figure out if they were going to do surgery and when. We found out on Friday there may be a chance that she would be having surgery today. Yesterday they said yes, today and then no, Thursday and then maybe it will be another day because the hospital might change.

This part is tough, but anyone who knows anyone who's ever had a life-threatening disease, disorder or illness knows that the doctors will change anything on you at anytime. I know that the doctors will do what is best for my mom but it is still a very scary thing.

Refreshing Summer Trifle

Today you will find me guest posting over at Sprinkles and Sundresses! I wrote about my favorite summer dessert - trifle!

Surprise, surprise I made it at my cousin's baby shower on Saturday. I learned a new trick, too - combine pudding mix with heavy whipping cream instead of milk and you get the most delicious filling flavoring.

Read more...



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Five Little Grins Link Up [Week 38]

<a href="http://www.beawarriorqueen.com" target="_blank"><img alt=" 5 Little Grins " height="246" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/4fb1b81a9b1ad6d17c9317ea03174589/tumblr_mucw6eXUKG1s3gqbyo1_400.png" width="350" /></a> 

We'll go ahead and say it: Most people think Mondays suck / are the worst / should die a fire-y death. I'm sure you get the picture.

We've all had our fair share of bad Mondays and bad Tuesdays and just plain ol' bad days. Instead of focusing on the bad, what if we focused on the good things?

What if we focused on the little things that made us smile today, yesterday, last week? Could our whole attitude change? In time, would we find that we're having more good days than bad?

Cassandra, Paulina and I would love for you to join us on our weekly link up counting at least 5 things that made you smile in the last week. We could start our Mondays on this positive note!

Of course, this is all about encouragement, so hop on over to some other blogs and leave a positive note and make a new friend!
The Rules! (These are really just kind suggestions)

1. Follow your hosts: Cassandra, Raewyn, and Paulina!

2. Link up your post that includes 5-ish things that made you smile in the past week

3. Comment after you link up

4. Go visit some other blogs and make some friends!

5. Have fun, and don't forget to smile!! As I mentioned yesterday, today is my last Five Little Grins post. 
Cassi and I decided we'd like to open up our Mondays for other posts. We had a wonderful run with Five Little Grins but it never had quite the turn out we hoped for. The days always helped us, and we will still be listing our 5 Little Grins personally. So let's make this a great one! 1. My mom's cancer is only stage 1. I haven't mentioned this at all, but it is part of the reason I disappeared for the last week. I will be sharing more later this week.
2. I am forever grateful for Iman. He helps me so much with everything and is so very supportive.
3. Great friends have been very, very helpful in this past week.
4. My cousin's baby shower was amazing!! I cannot wait to share it with you.

Look at that baby belly!! 

5. I'm going to go get anti-anxiety medicine next week. I will also be posting more about this, this week! 
What has got you grinning? 

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Weekly Warrior Queen Links #2

Oh hi blog, thank you for patiently waiting for me to come back to you. I've been missing you greatly - but my mind has been other places. I'll explain everything later this week. Let's just sum it up with #AnxietyProblems.

Of course I am too excited to share these links this week, so I was able to calm my anxiety long enough to jump up. Tomorrow will be our last 5 Little Grins and I will probably be starting up Weekly Goals with Melyssa at the Nectar Collective. I have a feeling that will help with my anxiety, too!

Anyway, read these amazing articles and blogs!

Five Little Grins Link-Up [Week 37]

<a href="http://www.beawarriorqueen.com" target="_blank"><img alt=" 5 Little Grins " height="246" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/4fb1b81a9b1ad6d17c9317ea03174589/tumblr_mucw6eXUKG1s3gqbyo1_400.png" width="350" /></a> 

We'll go ahead and say it: Most people think Mondays suck / are the worst / should die a fire-y death. I'm sure you get the picture.

We've all had our fair share of bad Mondays and bad Tuesdays and just plain ol' bad days. Instead of focusing on the bad, what if we focused on the good things?

What if we focused on the little things that made us smile today, yesterday, last week? Could our whole attitude change? In time, would we find that we're having more good days than bad?

Cassandra, Paulina and I would love for you to join us on our weekly link up counting at least 5 things that made you smile in the last week. We could start our Mondays on this positive note!

Of course, this is all about encouragement, so hop on over to some other blogs and leave a positive note and make a new friend!
The Rules! (These are really just kind suggestions)

1. Follow your hosts: Cassandra, Raewyn, and Paulina!

2. Link up your post that includes 5-ish things that made you smile in the past week

3. Comment after you link up

4. Go visit some other blogs and make some friends!

5. Have fun, and don't forget to smile!!
1. We went to a wedding on Saturday and I got to see a ton of old friends!

In high school, most of my friends were in Drama and this is the Drama reunion photo, which I got to be in as an honorary member. 

2. I figured out a budget finally!!

3. I had dinner with my grandparents and mom last night :)

4. We went baby shower shopping last week! I can't wait for this Saturday's party - oh and you know, to meet our niece!

5. My mom got Iman and I sunflowers for our apartment. I love having fresh flowers in the house. 

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Weekly Warrior Queen Links #1

Lately, I've been trying to figure out how to take this blog back to its roots. If you've been reading for awhile, you know that I originally only posted about warrior queen things - women's issues, girl stuff, relationships, etc. It wasn't very personal. Last year, I decided to make everything more personal and since then my following has grown immensely.

You guys like to know about my life and you like my lifestyle blog. My most popular posts are usually my wedding posts, but they are followed by the heartfelt "warrior queen" posts and do good posts that I love to write. My struggle with those posts is that they're extremely emotionally draining to write consecutively.