Christmas Tag Swap

The Burton girls were at it again with a Christmas tag swap. We wanted to do the swap early enough in December that a) we would be able to put up our tags for Christmas decoration, and b) Our Sis who is currently lining in Australia would get hers in time for Christmas. I think we made it!

This year our Christmas theme was more of a color scheme. The theme was Winter Whites. Our tags were to focus on white, cream, silver, gold, and sepia.

I made a banner with the Christmas tags and strung it across my piano for the holidays. I love the look of these tags. They turned out beautiful, and look great displayed together.

A few of us have already had some great ideas for next year’s theme. I’m already excited. Thanks ladies!

-Lynnae

Halloween Tag Swap

One craft project the ladies in my family enjoy is having a tag swap. These usually involve some of my sisters, my mom and a sister in law. Having a tag swap gives us a chance to do a small manageable art project, and  it’s a fun way to stay connected to those that live far away. We don’t use the tags on gifts, just to decorate around the house.

We decide on a holiday or theme, give people a chance to join, and then set a target date for mailing the tag.

These are the tags for our Halloween 2013 tag swap. I made the one on the top left. Each of us made six tags. we keep one of our own and mail out the others to the other participants.

Aren’t they cute?

-Lynnae

Bridal Photos

It’s Labor Day Weekend and the newlyweds are back at their university and doing very well. I have the bridal photographs now and would love to share some with you.

We hired Joshua from Joshua Gene Wedding Photography to take all the photos for the wedding. He was the same photographer who did our daughter Hillary’s wedding. He’s great to work with and Arianne’s portraits turned out beautiful.

Our locations were the Woodland Park Rose Garden in Seattle, and Kerry Park, a park with a great view of the city.

Arianne’s Dress is made by LatterDay Bride and Prom, and was purchased at Gateway Bridal & Prom in Salt Lake City, Utah. We made a trip to Utah for wedding dress shopping in order to find a wedding dress that meets Mormon standards. When you marry in the temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints not only are you interviewed for worthiness in keeping the commandments, you also follow a code of dress, which means the lovely dresses can not be sleeveless or strapless as is commonly found in bridal gowns.

Arianne chose a beautiful dress with beaded top and lace skirt. We took it to alterations so the length could be adjusted and hooks for bustling put in. Kimberly Alterations in Issaquah did a wonderful job on her dress, in a short amount of time.

Here’s a shot of my little marathon runner with her running shoes on. It’s one of my favorites.

-Lynnae

Austenland was so much fun!

Tonight we went out to Seattle to see Austenland. Based on the book by Shannon Hale, directed by Jerusha Hess. I went with a couple of friends, my sister, and two of us had our husbands along. After all the lukewarm reviews I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I will start by saying my husband just sighed and said “Oh, man. I wish we could see that show again.”

Rave reviews from the husband of a Janeite.

I am sure the theater was filled with hardcore Jane Austen fans, and a few husbands sprinkled in, but everyone loved the show. I expected some quirky Jerusha Hess humor but didn’t know quite how it would play out in a show like this. We had so much fun at this show from beginning to end. It was silly and delightful, and better than I thought it would be. The cast really made the show with great comic timing. J J Field was so cute as Mr. Nobley. Keri Russell was very sweet.

And boy were there some funny moments. There were many times we missed a funny line because we were still laughing from a previous line. By twenty minutes into the show I had tears in my eyes from laughing so much. I don’t want to give anything away for my Austenesque friends, but just go see it.

I have loved many Austen adaptations striving for accuracy and period authenticity, but this one was definitely one for the Janeites. And yet something tells me that anyone who has dragged their significant other to a chick flick, or anyone who’s ever been dragged to a chick flick would love this show.

-Lynnae

P.S. We loved the musical number at the end credits!

Wedding Joy

Hello my blog friends!

I know I’ve been missing from the blogosphere lately, but last month my daughter got married, and it has been all consuming! I have been busy sewing and crafting, but it has all been for the wedding, and therefore under wraps until the big day.

Then the wedding date came and went, and I have been in RELAXATION and DECOMPRESSION mode for the past few weeks. But I have not forgotten you, so the next couple posts will be about this BIG DAY!

So stay tuned for more wedding goodness!

-Lynnae

Update May 2013

I’m a little late….. My husband’s deployment ended in February. I know I’m very behind in blogging, but I am so thankful that he is home. Since he’s been home we’ve taken a romantic trip to Las Vegas, a spring break trip to Utah to visit our daughter and son-in-law, and our other college daughter has been here to visit us.

My husband also had two months of vacation- a month from the Army, and a month from his job here, before he had to go back to Microsoft. I loved spending so much time with him every day. We ran around town together, eating at restaurants that he had missed while he was away, we even joined a gym and started going together. I love my sweetie!

I have a list of ‘deployment thank-you’s"’ for all the help I received during the time he was gone.

I am very thankful to friends, to my family, daughters, and siblings and all the good times we had together, and for my youngest daughter who was a great companion every day, laughed at my silliness, and was perfectly willing to have a frozen burrito any night I didn’t feel like cooking.

Thanks to those who helped with yard work, visited my sick doggie at the kennel while I was out of town, brought me soup on a sad day, looked at broken cars, sent a cake through the mail, climbed a ladder, tried to help me break into my own house after locking myself out, took me to dinner, or movies, or just were there for me.

  Mostly to my Father in Heaven. For keeping us safe, for giving me strength, for protecting our home and protecting my husband. Knowing that the Lord was mindful of me and my needs is humbling and overpowering. Thank you is not enough.

-Lynnae

Happy 200th Birthday Pride and Prejudice

January 28th Marks 200 years since the publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I decided to commemorate the day by inviting a bunch of my Austen loving friends over for a Pride and Prejudice-athon, watching the entire 1995 BBC A&E classic six episode mini-series in one fabulous night (yes, of course the Colin Firth version).

My sweet husband, who is currently deployed overseas, sent me flowers for the occasion. But of course. Doesn’t everyone’s significant other send them flowers on the anniversary of their favorite author’s most famous publication???

But wait, there’s more. My soldier composed a poem on the occasion. How romantic!

Here’s a little decoration

For your Pride and Prejudice celebration

I hope it brightens home and heart

While you spend the day with your friend Jane’s art.

             To my own Liza, love Jon

 

Everyone brought snacks or treats and I made a big slow-cooker full of winter squash bisque with a side of crusty asiago bread.

Attire was comfy clothes or sweats, and we all got comfy on my big leather couch for the show. It was really a lot of fun and I’m thankful for my friends for sharing my passion.

-Lynnae

PS, My husbands deployment is almost over. Yay!

PPS, This is my first entry for the Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice Bicenteniary Challenge.

Click on the picture to learn more about the challenge.