Newlywed in Nashville

Meet Calvin!

2012-02-24T06:33:00.002-08:00

I am so glad that it's Friday but I am also so glad that I have been able to spend so much time with this little guy lately. Meet Calvin Reid :) He is my adorable year and a half year old nephew who I have been watching this past week. He is such a fun little guy and I mean, how cute is he?!

I typically do High Five For Friday, but since we've been in the process of moving, I thought I'd just do a post of this little man. He is totally going to be a ladies man one day...just look at this cheeks!

We are going to look at more apartments this afternoon, we're hoping to find one soon! Currently Cal is sitting in my lap as I'm typing this, and he's waving at the picture of himself :)

Happy Friday!

-JK

Our Wedding Cake {Linkup}

2012-02-23T07:56:00.001-08:00

Today I am linking up with the wonderful Britt over at The Magnolai Pair, to talk about our wedding cake!

I love all things wedding and I love even more talking about our wedding day! We went with a modern typography theme, being the graphic design major that I am. If you can't already tell. I am OBSESSED with all things typography and letters in general. That being said I knew right away I wanted to do a typography inspired cake! Our cake was absolutely delicious, I could go for some right now!

The first layer was vanilla cake with raspberry jam filling and raspberry mousse with butter cream frosting, and the second layer was chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache filling and chocolate mousse with butter cream frosting. Jordan and I love vanilla but knew that lots of guests love chocolate as well, and we wanted to make sure everyone got a slice of the amazingness :) Here are some pics of our cake, which I was absolutely in love with. I had our baker spell out "love" in purple which was one of our wedding colors, as well as putting our initials with a heart on top. I knew I wanted the white on white look, since it was modern and clean, two of my favorite things :)

{our cake}

{the purple "love"}

{our initials}

{silver "K" topper}

{I just love this shot}

{getting read to cut the cake}

{yeah, we totally smashed the cake in each others' faces!}

{love him so much!}

I can't wait to see everyone else's wedding cakes! I also want to thank everyone for your kind words yesterday, regarding our move. You are all so sweet and it really made my day to see that you were all thinking of us and praying for us!

Have a great Thursday!

We are going to look at some apartments today, hopefully it goes well!

-JK

We Moved!

2012-02-22T07:44:00.000-08:00

That's right, we have officially MOVED! After going to college in Ohio for four years, here we are again! I honestly can't believe that I'm saying this, but we did it. Sorry for not having shared this with you all sooner, but both Jordan and I just wanted to make sure this move actually happened before we shared it with the whole world. However, now that it officially happened I can finally talk about it :)

The whole reason why we moved to Nashville was so Jordan could pursue a specific job in the music industry. We were excited about living somewhere other than the East Coast even though we knew it was going to be a HUGE adjustment. After waiting 5 months for this job to start, Jordan began to realize that it wasn't going to be happening any time soon. Being the amazing husband and man of God that he is, he knew that he needed to do what was best for “us” and if that meant moving to find another job somewhere else, than that’s what he was going to do. My heart broke for him because I knew how badly he wanted this job, and I hated having to watch him leave dream job.

So after lots of prayer and advice from our families, we made the tough decision to pursue jobs and a new life somewhere other than Nashville. It wasn't long after we made this decision that some great job opportunities opened up for Jordan in Ohio. It was amazing how we felt like God was telling us this move was something that we needed to do. He has opened up so many doors for us, and is continuing to each day.

Currently we are staying with Jordan's oldest brother with his wife and our adorable little nephew until we find a place of our own. We would really appreciate if you could pray for us, not only because we literally packed up our whole lives with a few short weeks, but also that I would find a job, and that we would find a place to live.

I seriously can't believe we don't live in Nashville anymore. Don't get me wrong, Ohio is definitely not the most exciting state to live in, but I can honestly tell you that Jordan and I were SO excited about moving here and being close to our family and friends. Knowing that I'm with my best friend through it all, is truly all I need. I'll post more details about our move, as well as life in Nashville and life here in Ohio soon. I just wanted to update you all on our lives and explain why I've been missing from the blogging world!

Oh and I'm totally having anxiety about what to re-name my blog to, since we no longer live in Nashville! This time I’ll be sure to leave where I live out of the title!

{I love this verse, such a great reminder}

Well Ohio...here we are! It's so nice to see you again :)

-JK

Oh, for the love of coral...

2012-02-17T22:22:00.036-08:00

So lately I have been obsessed with any and everything that is coral. I am also loving the combination of coral and turquoise together...it is so stunning. My love for coral (and turquoise) all began at work one day when I saw this stunning vase (#7) and realized how much I loved these two colors together. My goal is to start buying/wearing more coral for the spring - it's such a happy color!
Sorry there are so many items, there were just so many "coralastic" (like the new word?) things out there! I told you I am obsessed :) You can also see more of my favorite fashion finds by following me on Pinterest here!

{one}

how beautiful are these patent leather high heels?

{two}

this color by Essie is amazing, and totally a must buy!

{three}

in love with this lace dress, it's so feminine.

{four}

this outfit just screams summer, and i am loving the hints of turquoise.

{five}

how cute is this bow skirt?

{six}

love boyfriend blazers, and would love one in this color.

{seven}

my inspiration piece - vase from Anthro.

{eight}

really like the idea of pairing two different shades of coral together, plus i'm loving the clutch.

{nine}

pretty much the most beautiful necklace EVER.

{ten}

how precious is this nursery? hopefully when that time comes I'll still love these colors together!

{eleven}

this leather bag is beautiful, wouldn't mind having this on my arm!

{twelve}

loving the color of these walls, they just make everything else pop.

Aside from the color coral, I am also SO happy because today is Saturday which means date night with the hubby! We are going to The City House here in Nashville, which I've been looking forward to all week! Our good friends gave us a gift card to there as a wedding gift and we are JUST now getting a chance to go! I can't wait to eat lots of yummy food and spend some quality time with my love!

Happy Saturday everyone, hope you have a wonderful day!

-JK

Fill In The Blank Friday {Linkup}

2012-02-17T08:59:00.002-08:00

So this week I am trying something new with Fill in the Blank Friday! I obviously was drawn to it since it was related to "love" and thought I'd give it a try!

1. The love of my life is: Jordan and Jesus Christ!

2. Falling in love is: Truly one of the most amazing feelings in the world. It's knowing that you are giving your heart to someone who deeply wants to love you and be there for you no matter what. It is something that takes time and in my mind cannot be rushed. It is amazing and I am so happy that I only fell in love once, with my amazing husband!

3. Marriage is : Learning more and more everyday how to love, respect and experience life with your best friend.

4. The longest relationship I've ever had was: 4.5 years with my man, Jordan!

5. The key to a good relationship is: Communication and laughter! I also believe that giving your lives over to the Lord is essential to any relationship.

6. I feel loved when: Jordan tells me how beautiful I am, and now glad he is that I am his wife. I also love the little things in life, like homemade cards, or dinner already made for me when I get home.

7. My favorite quote about love is: It's a Bible verse but totally one of my favorites (it was on our wedding programs) Song of Solomon 6:3: "I am my beloved's and my beloved's is mine." There is something truly wonderful knowing that Jordan is MINE and that I am his. Love this verse!

{Us at our good friends' wedding this past summer - sorry about the quality it was on Jor's iphone}
Also, I know this is not related to Fill in the Blank Friday, but if you all could be praying for my brother's fiance, Hannah that would be so appreciated. She has a very serious eye infection and many doctors and specialist have no idea what it is. She is actually going to NYC this morning to receive medicine that had to be shipped from Europe since it is so rare here in the United States. They are getting married in June and not only is she is a lot of pain, but she is scared that her vision will not be the same due to this unknown infection. She is so much fun to be around and I know this is really starting to get to her. Thank you all so much, I know she would appreciate your prayers immensely!

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

-JK

It's Okay Thursday {Linkup}

2012-02-16T15:41:00.003-08:00

Today I'm linking up with It's Okay Thursday over at A Complete Waste of Makeup!

It's okay...

That I forgot to paint my nails red for valentine's day...there's always next year!

That the hubby and I went out to lunch this afternoon and are going out to dinner too, it's just one of those days!

That I haven't seen The Vow yet like everyone else, I'm totally waiting until it comes out on Redbox and will only have to spend $1.

That I never had colored my hair before, because I'm too scared I won't like it!

That I spend way too many hours a day reading all of the fabulous blogs out there!

That I got sick the day after Valentine's Day, but am feeling MUCH better :)

That I am currently watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Reunion Part 2 and am looving every minute of it!

Happy Thursday!

-JK

Our Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

Well here at I am, supposed to be working at Anthro, but I'm not because I got sick last night...all night long. Let's just say it was a night I'd love to forget and never have happen again, but that being said it made me realize how amazing of a husband Jordan really is. I tried not to wake up him, but that didn't happen. Even at 3:00 AM he's right there besides, rubbing my back and telling me it'll all be okay. What a guy. I honestly have no idea why I got soo sick, but I'm so glad that it happened today, the day AFTER Valentine's Day and not yesterday. I would have been so upset if all I could do was lay in bed, since it's one of my favorite holidays. Anyways, I'm feeling a lot better and am alive :)

So onto yesterday! We both decided to keep it really low key at our attempt to save money. When I woke up, I received this amazing card (we always make our cards for each other) and my favorite type of chocolate, Cadbury with caramel! I gave him some donut holes which he loves, with this card on it, which I thought was fun!

{ his donuts with note }

{ my card and chocolates from Jordan }

Jordan's gift to me was taking me out to lunch to a suprise location since he had to work through dinner. After driving for about 20 minutes I realized we were at a sushi/hibachi restuarant with amazing Chinese food. Afterwards I thought that maybe I had gotten food posioning, but we both ate the same things, so not really sure! Regardless, it was really yummy and perfect for us, since Chinese food is one of our favs! After that we headed back home and just hung out. It was so great though. We had some music on as we were just doing things around the apartment, and he came over to me and started to dance with me! He doesn't like dancing so I thought it was soo sweet that he did this. He is actually a really good dancer, but he'll totally deny it!

{ Us just hanging out around the apartment }

Once it came time for Jordan to head off to work, I worked on finishing his gift. I'm usually not a last minute person, but for some reason it wasn't done yet! Luckily I finished it before he got home, as well as his homemade card :) I found the idea for his gift off of...pinterest, you guessed it! I loved the idea of how simple it was, yet so fun! It's a "CT girl with a NJ guy" using real maps from each state. When I gave it to him, he LOVED it, and I was so happy! I love making gifts for people but I always get so scared they won't like it! But he did, so I was relived. I also made him strawberry shortcake since its our favorite dessert, using my mom's recipes for homemade whipped cream and baking powder biscuits. Everything turned out so well and it tasted so yummy. The only thing I'm regretting is that it was the last thing I ate before I went to bed. Let's just say I saw a lot of it throughout the night :(

{ strawberry shortcake }

{ the gift I made Jordan }

So even though we didn't spend a ton of money or go out to the fanciest restaurant, it's amazing how much I find myself loving this man more and more every day. It's the little things that I love, like the homemade card, or wanting to just dance with me that makes life so memorable and exciting. I don't need a lot in life to be happy, just my man by my side (even when I'm bent over the toilet) is enough for me :)

I hope you all had a great day! Only 364 more days until next year! Happy Wednesday!

-JK

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

Since the day isn't over yet, I will be posting what we the hubs and I did tomorrow but today I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! Even though we are keeping it pretty low key, I still love this day so much. There is so much love in the air and I'm totally a fan!

I found this picture of Jor and I FOUR years ago, on Valentine's Day which was also the first time he told me he loved me! It was a night I'll never forget. Here's to being in love for four amazing years with my incredible man. I can't believe we're actually married and I have a husband to celebrate with this year! I love you baby!

Have a great day everyone!

xoxo,

-JK

Miscellany Monday - Eye Chart Design

2012-02-13T09:08:00.000-08:00

So it's time for another Miscellany Monday with Carissa at lowercase letters. For the past year or so, I've always wanted to make an eye chart design, but have never wanted to put the time and effort into making one, until this past weekend. Jordan was working on Friday night and I thought it was the perfect time to dedicated a few hours to making this guy and rewarding myself with a sense of accomplishment that it was done.

It may not look like it'd take this long to do, but it's tricky. Making sure that in every row the size of the font decreases just enough so that the kearning (spacing) of each individual letter is enough to make each row get progressively smaller and smaller. Well after two hours of working on it, I finally got it right! I seriously love it and am so excited to print it out and put it up :) Since I'm not working at a graphic design company right now, freelance design work has become a great way for me to continue using my design skills so I don't lose them. Also, it's such a great hobby and I love coming up with new designs, especially on a Friday night when I'm bored :)

Now I can't decided between the two colors. I did one in teal just because it's fun and then one in the traditional white and black. Which one do you guys like better? Also, if you're interested in having me make a customized one for you, just email me and we can discuss what exactly you're looking for!

Happy Monday and happy watching The Bachelor tonight, it looks like it's going to be a good one!

-JK

Walking Dead returns!

2012-02-12T10:25:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like Jordan and I then you somehow became enwrapped in the unusually bizarre and often creepy show The Walking Dead. I can't even tell you how many Sundays we've said to each other, "Is this the week The Walking Dead comes back on?!" We are SO excited about tonight. We've waited weeks for the story to pick up where it left off last year, which was one incredible ending. Some people can't handle the fact that they are zombies, and that they are rather disturbing to look at, but I have to tell you, I hate any type of scary movie or tv show, but this one is so different. The story line is absolutely incredible, and you really do feels as though you're right there with them, always on the look out for "walkers".

If you haven't seen any episodes of the past two seasons then you offically have 7 and a half hours to catch up! Trust me, you won't want to miss it and you will become hooked very quickly!

Happy Sunday everyone!

-JK

High Five for Friday!

2012-02-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Loving that it's Friday and time for High Five for Friday with Lauren From My Grey Desk.

1. First up is this felt heart garland that I made and am in love with. It was super cheap and super easy, what more could I ask for?!

2. Next is another decoration that I made for our apartment. This DIY "Be Mine" banner that I mentioned in my Pinterest post on Wednesday.

3. Is one more Vday project I made...well I didn't make it, I just printed it out and put it in a frame :) I am so in love with subway art and thought this one for Valentine's was too cute to not put up.

Here is another pic of the print along with a mini felt banner I made for our "important dates" canvas as well as some magazine cut out designs I made.

4. Yesterday at worked (Anthropologie) I fell in love with this lock & key charm and knew I had to buy it, especially since it was the last one and was on sale! I love that it mixes gold and silver (hard to tell in this pic) and is so fun!

5. Now I know this last one may seem a little strange to you all, but last night I told myself that I was determined to make a button for my blog, and I did! Now being a graphic design major a lot of times people think that I can design websites as well, but HTML and coding is really not my thing. I plan on hiring something to do a new blog design for me in the future, but am trying to save my money right now! Needless to say, it took me a little while to figure it out but I finally got it and now have a button for you you all to grab :)

Happy Friday everyone, I hope you have a great day and wonderful weekend!

-JK

Oh how Pinteresting!

2012-02-08T08:34:00.000-08:00

I love Wednesdays, not only because it means the week if half over, but more importantly it means it's "Oh how Pinteresting Wednesday" with Michelle from The Vintage Apple. This week I decided to do 5 of my favorite Valentine's Day pins, since it's getting so close, and 5 of my favorite fashion/beauty pins since Spring is coming and it's making me want to SHOP!

One.

I found this felt heart banner and fell in love with it. I told myself that I needed to make it myself, so I did. I promise to post that later!

Two.

How cute is this heart glitter nail polish?! All you need is a bottle of clear nail polish and some mini heart glitter and voila!

Three.

These pink cookies with cream cheese filling look absolutely amazing and that color pink is so perfect.

Four.

I actually printed out a VDay subway art similar to this one the other day (will also post that) but I found this one and loved it as well.

Five.

I made this DIY "Be Mine" banner as well, and I am in love. It was so easy to make and it's such a cute VDay decoration.

Six.

What is there not to love about this sequin/chiffon dress. The top is a show stopper while the bottom is super feminine and gorg. Wouldn't mind having this to wear for VDay...maybe next year!

Seven.

Oh what I would do to own these shoes. I love the combo of the cheetah print with the deep red. I also love that they are peep toe with a t-strap, they actually look like they'd be comfy AND stylish :)

Eight.

My eyes are a darker green but I love this look of purple eyes. I love purple and green together (aka our wedding colors) and I think it would totally make anyone's eyes pop!

Nine.

I love how simple yet elegant this updated ponytail look is. It's a great way to pull your hair away from your face, but still leave a pretty surprise for those behind you.

Ten.

Green is one of my favorite colors and I am so in love with these green jeans. I feel like they would look so cute with everything from flats to heels. They are a must buy for my spring wardrobe!

You can follow me on Pinterest here if you would like to see how addicted I have become :)

Happy Wednesday everyone, two more days until Friday and only six more days until Valentine's Day!

One more thing: thanks to everyone who commented yesterday on our love story, it really meant so much to read all your kind words! :)

-JK

Our Love Story {Linkup}

2012-02-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

Since I love all things dealing with Valentine's Day and love in general, I was so excited when I saw this link up with from Mrs. to Mama. I am so blessed to have found the love of my life, and still being "newlyweds" I get still get so excited to think about how I'm his "Mrs" :)

Okay, here we go!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We have officially been together for four years as of January 22nd, but we literally knew from the first time we started hanging out (September 2007) that we both had feelings for each other. So I guess I would say somewhere around four and four and a half years.

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

Our "love" story still makes me laugh till this day! I first met/saw Jordan during Getting Started weekend at our school. I was standing in line with my mom to get the key to my dorm when Jordan walked by. Now let me paint a visual picture for you of what Jordan looked like at the time: He had super skinny black jeans on, a white studded belt, a graphic tee that was probably black as well, a skateboard in hand, about 20 keys on a caribbean that jingled and jangled every step he took and finally a hairstyle that consisted of black, red and blonde. Now I totally just made him out to sound like a clown, but I loved his "bad boy" look and thought he was so attractive from day one! Now that being said, he didn't necessarily give off the best first impression to everyone he walked by, he totally looked mad at the world (even though he's the sweetest guy ever). I leaned over to my mom and said, "Hey mom, that's the guy I'm gonna marry" in a totally sarcastic manner. She leans back over and says, "Don't even think about it". Sooo, that was how my first interaction with Jordan went! Crazy huh? It was a few weeks later that mutual friend of ours who happened to be Jordan's best man introduced us officially. I was so nervous and excited at the same time, but we hit it off really well and the rest is history :)

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

We have been married 5 months and 3 days! I can't believe it's getting close to 6 months, time has gone by so quickly!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

We got married in a church in Connecticut (where I'm from) since I had always envisioned the double doors opening as I walk through and see Jordan for the first time. We had about 150 guests so I don't know if that's considered big or small but to us it really was the perfect size.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

We always call each other "boo" or "boo boo". I don't even remember how it started (probably from my love for Usher) but it totally stuck with us and I love it. We don't even think about it anymore, it just comes out!

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

1. His desire to always strive to become a better Christian, a better husband and a better friend. 2. His sense of humor, he makes me laugh more than anyone I've ever met. 3. His love for shopping! I know this sounds silly but I knew I couldn't marry a guy that didn't love to shop as much as I did, and I totally found the right guy for me!

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

(Sorry in advance if I write too much, there were so many details to the day!) Our proposal was so truly perfect, he did such a great job! He knew me well enough to know that if he said we were going out to a fancy dinner or to downtown for the day, then I'd put two and two together and catch on since I really did want to be suprised when he proposed. So he instead planned a really causual dinner at this beautiful park which consisted of chinese (our all time favorite food) take out. That whole day he had been acting so strange, just being super sweet and giddy, so I had an idea that something was up but didn't want to get my hopes up. So while we were at the park I could just tell that he was nervous and really excited about something. That was when it started to hit me that "oh my gosh, I think we're getting engaged today". Now I totally thought that if he was going to do it incorportaing Chinese food, that he was going to put in in our fortune cookies (great idea huh?) since we always love to read our fortunes out loud. So after we finisehd our meals, he hands me my fortune cookie and I'm thinking "here we go!". As I opened the cookie and read my fortune, I realize it has nothing to do with a proposal and is just a regualr Chinese fortune. Now being the goofy one that I am, I decide to play a little trick on him...I take out my fortune and say, "oh my gosh, this fortune says will you marry me". As I looked up at him, he FROZE. He had no idea what was going on and thought that it was a total conicience and that he was going to have to get down on one knee right there! Well I could tell how scared he was so I assured him I was just kidding and that it didn't say anything like that (I thought it was so funny, but felt so bad after!) So not soon after that, he suggested we go for a walk on this beautfiul old bridge. As we begin walking down I see a bouquet of mini purple calla lilies (my favorite flowers) and a hand written card that says my name on it (we always make cards for each other). I immediately start to freak out and just keep repeating "what's going on, what's going on?" He is smiling so big at this point and just tells me to read the card out loud. As I picked up the card, I could feel my self shaking, as well as the tears coming on. The card read: "Jillian, over the past two years and 7 months I have resisted the urge to buy you your favorite flowers, because I wanted to buy them for you on the day that I asked you to marry me." It was at that exact moment that he got down on one knee and told me that he loved me more than anything in this world and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me! He then opened up the ring box and showed me the BEAUTY! I was so excited and of course screamed YES! We hugged and kissed for what felt like an eternity, until he leaned in and said, "oh one more thing...smile!" As I turned I saw one of our friends who is now a professional photographer taking pictures of the whole thing. Little did I know he had been hiding in the bushes the whole time, and had captured every moment! I was so exited to know that I'd have these photos to look at when ever I wanted :) The best part of the day was yet to come...a few weeks prior I had gotten a call from one of my housemates' fiance saying that he wanted me to plan a surprise engagement party for my housemate (Casey) since they got engaged over the summer and wanted to celebrate with all their friends. I was so excited to help Matt out and told him I'd take care of it. Little did I know, I was planning my own engagement party! Jordan told me later that he know how much of a perfectionist I am, and how much I love planning events so he thought he'd leave it up to me to make sure it looked good :) I absolutely loved that he did this, and the fact that he had invited tons of OUR friends to help celebrate with us, was so sweet and something I'll never forget.

Some of my favorite pictures from the day:

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

I think he is a little bit of both actually! I've gotten both types of gifts from him in the past, which I love. Last year he made chocolate covered strawberries, and they were so delicious! He is super creative and a great cook, so I never know what he's going to do :)

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

If you had asked me this last year before we were married, I'd say I was totally a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, but now that we're married I absolutely love just hanging out, relaxing on the couch together. Now I still LOVE going out to dinner with Jor, but I'd say overall, we love just hanging out watching a movie, eating popcorn together in our living room.

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

If we could do anything together, I would totally say travel to Europe! It has been my dream to go to Italy and I know it's somewhere he would love to go as well. We've talked about how hopefully one day we can actually go, and cross it off our bucket list!

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.

We have talked about going out to dinner, and then possibly going to see The Vow! I have no idea if I'll actually be able to swing this one, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! It will probably be pretty low key since we are trying to save our money, but to be honest I don't need anything fancy, just as long as we're together I will be one happy girl.

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

I am not asking for anything this year, simply because we are trying to save money as I mentioned above. However, that being said we will still get each other something, since we love buying each other gifts, it just won't be anything super extravagant or expensive. I have a few ideas of some things I want to buy/make him but I'm still deciding! He also told me that he is going to take me somewhere that is a surprise, so I'm super excited about that!

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.

The best advice I could give anyone on keeping a relationship strong and full of love, would be to put your trust and faith in the Lord. Jordan and I are both independent people and a lot of times we think we can figure things out on our own, but we both find out the hard way that we can't. When we give our individual lives as well as our married life over to the Lord, our relationship is so amazing. We know that we can't do it alone, and to know that the Lord is there for us and wants to help us is so comforting. Also, I would say to not take life too seriously and learn to laugh and have a good time! We've learned to just laugh at the silly things we do instead of getting upset. Life is too short to not enjoy it, and is so much more enjoyable with a smile on your face!

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

This is one of my all time favorites. I distinctly remember this moment when our photographer took this photo. I felt so blessed that the Lord had put Jordan in my life, and I was lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with him. I remember thinking how I couldn't pull him in close enough and how crazy in love I am with this man, my best friend and now my husband!

Well there's our love story, I hope you enjoyed!

-JK

Target love

2012-02-06T07:48:00.000-08:00

So I know that this is really random, but thank goodness today is Miscellany Monday and that's the whole purpose of it! I don't know how many of you know this already, but the oh so famous fashion designer Jason Wu is coming to Target! I was so excited when I saw this, because he is such an amazing designer and his designs are clean, modern and feminine. I have already been looking at what pieces Target is going to carry, and getting excited to buy some of them! Here's the thing though, apparently Target is already SOLD out online of his collection! Apparently the line was launched and literally within hours the collection was sold out! Target is unsure as to when the items will become available again. If you're like me then you're more likely to purchase something in the store rather than online, but this just makes me realize how hot these items are and how excited I am to get my hands on them!

Here are some of my favorites pieces...

[ love this sheer white blouse with the black bow ]

[how cute is this lbd with the nude patent leather belt ]

[ love the shape of this pleated top, and that it's gold ]

[ in love with this blush colored blouse with the layering detail on the front ]

[ what girl wouldn't want a lace clutch in black ]

Have you checked out the sold out online collection yet? What are some of your favorites? This is just one more reason why I LOVE Target :) Have a great Monday everyone!

-JK

(Happy) Super Bowl Sunday

2012-02-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, you just recently found out who was playing in todays big game. I guess you could say that football really isn't my thing. I do want The Patriots to win, simply because I'm a New England girl and want to represent Connecticut!

Regardless of how I really don't care about the game, the hubs and I are going to a Super Bowl party tonight at our friends house and I am excited! The two things I am most excited about are 1. the delicious foods and 2. seeing my friends. Is it bad that watching the game isn't one of them?!

I am going to make this for yummy dip for dessert, which I am so excited to try out! I am going to serve it with chocolate graham crackers, vanilla wafers and pretzels.

[ chocolate chip cookie dough dip - via pinterest ]

Even though I was only told to bring a dessert, appetizers are seriously one of my favorite type of foods in the whole world. I told Jor that I want to make something I love, so I can eat what I love all night long :)

Thinking about making this since it is one of my all time favorites...

[ 7 layer dip via allrecipes.com ]

I am getting hungry just talking about these two foods, and am so exited to devour into some goodness tonight! What are you big plans for the game? Or should I say, what foods are you excited to eat? :)

Have a great Super Bowl Sunday! Let's go Patriots!

-JK

5 fantastic months

2012-02-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

Today marks 5 months of being married! I can't believe we have already been married for 5 months, it seriously doesn't seem real. I can't even describe how amazing these past 5 months have been. I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole world that I fell in love with the man of my dreams and that he's all mine. He is so good to me and treats me like a princess everyday. Although I relive our wedding day quite frequently, one of my favorite memories is when Jordan read his vows to me. Now I don't remember every word of his vows due to nerves and overall excitement of the day (thank goodness we got it filmed!) but the one thing he said that will forever stick with me was when he said, "Jillian, there are many things and people in this world that I love, but there is not anything or anyone that I love more than you." And, cue the tears!

I love how being married inevitably brings out one question from everyone..."so how is married life?!" I love answering this question because everytime I just start smiling and think about just how great it is being married to your best friend. Now I can't lie, there are days when being married is not easy. It is totally not like the movies and regardless of who you are, I think you can agree with me on this one. That is not to say that it's still not amazing, but sometimes it is hard, really hard. Now when I say this I don't mean that it's difficult being married to Jordan by any means, but that marriage comes with difficulties that no book or marriage counseling session can prepare you for. We are learning everyday how to rely on the Lord and to love one another regardless of whatever challenges come our way. If any of you know me, you know I love to plan ahead and hate not knowing what the future holds. Not knowing where Jordan and I will be in a few months or what we will be doing is honestly really hard for me, but I am learning that life is a journey and that we're in it together. Wherever the Lord takes us, we know that we were meant to embark on it together, hand in hand.

That being said, happy 5 month anniversary baby, I love you so much!

So funny story: I recently came across this picture of us from our FRESHMEN year of college! We were sitting in the SSC about to exchange Christmas gifts before we left to go home for break. This was our first documented picture together! Even though we look so incredibly young, I still love this pic :)

And here we are at our wedding, on September 4, 2011...5 months ago!

I am so excited for all of the many months to come...and only 7 more until our one year!

Happy Saturday everyone, hope you have a relaxing and wonderful day!

-JK

It's Friday!

2012-02-03T09:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday everyone! I can't believe how fast this past week has gone...time is flying! Since it's Friday, it's time again for "high five for friday" from Lauren at "from my grey desk".

Since the hubby and I are trying to not spend money lately, I thought I'd talk about five things that we've been able to do with his parents while they have been here this past week - which they have paid for for the both of us...so so sweet.

1. [ We had to take them to Broadway street downtown also known as "Nash Vegas". We had a fun time just waking around and being amused by all of the interesting people you see there...we think we were even in a commercial being filmed! We're famous (not really but almost). ]

2. [ For dinner they really wanted some southern bbq so we took them to Jim & Nicks - which was actually my first time going there. I got the pulled pork and it was amazing, plus the have the best cheddar biscuits I've ever had! ]

3. [ After dinner we decided to rent a movie eat lots of popcorn and sour patch kids (so healthy right?! ). Somehow the four of us all decided on this one with Sarah Jessica Parker! It was actually pretty good, definitely a feel good movie. ]

4. [ On friday we went to downtown Franklin, which is one of my favorite places. It's basically a historic town with lots of shops and restaurants. It was the perfect day to walk around and shop, the weather was 64 and sunny! ]

5. [ Last night we went to the famous Loveless Cafe for dinner and it was delic! We ordered family style and got fried chicken, country ham, souther style green beans, mac & cheese and caramel sweet potatoes. Not to mention they had some of the best peach sweet tea and biscuits with homemade jam you've ever had. Your mouth is totally watering huh? :) ]

Today we are headed off to a historic mansion, going to grab some late lunch and then taking the in-laws to the airport. I am so thankful for such wonderful family and I wish they could stay longer!

Hope you all have a wonderful Friday, and get to spend it with the ones you love!

-JK

An encouraging verse

2012-02-02T07:36:00.000-08:00

Jordan was reading Psalm 103 last night and he shared some of his thoughts with me after. It's amazing how a God can still continue to love us and forgive us despite of our sinful ways. It truly is amazing. Jordan and I were talking about how sometimes it can be easy to justify our sins due to the fact that we know God will forgive us, but then we talked about how God does get angry and disappointed in us, which is a side of God I rarely think about. To know that our Father is disappointed in the choices I made is so powerful. God's grace needs to be a reminder of His character and love for us, rather than a 'get out of a jail free' card.

I just want to leave you with these verses to act as a reminder of just how great our God is.

¹ Praise the LORD, my soul;

all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

² Praise the LORD, my soul,

and forget not all his benefits

³ who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases,

⁴ who redeems your life from the pit

and crowns you with love and compassion,

⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Have a great day everyone!

-JK

Hearts All Around Pinterest

2012-02-01T07:48:00.000-08:00

Happy Wednesday! Today I am partaking in two link ups, the first one is with Hollie at Hollie Takes Notes for the 'find some love fest' and the second is with Michelle from The Vintage Apple for "oh how pinteresting". I am so excited that V-Day is just two weeks away! I decided for this week to show my top ten Valentine's pins all related to hearts (which is the first thing I think of when I think of Valentine's Day).

Well, here are some of my favorite heart related Valentine's pins from this week!

[ All images via Pinterest ]

1. I am in love with these paper hearts in a simple white frame

2. Love these swirl heart plates from Crate & Barrel

3. Free printable that I simply adore

4. DIY Valentine's scratch cards

5. What a clever way to decorate for Valentine's, on a budget

6. Must try this with my nail polish

7. Adorable XOXO canvas

8. His home state and my home state with a tiny heart placed in each

9. I'm pretty sure I see a heart on this dress, plus it is so gorgeous

10. Red velvet heart shaped cake, it doesn't get any more perfect than that

Well those are my top 10 Valentine's related pins from this week, hope you enjoyed them! Happy Wednesday everyone, make it a good one!

-JK

Bachelor recap

2012-01-31T09:19:00.000-08:00

Warning: don't read this post if you have yet to watch last night's episode of The Bachelor!

I figured I'd do a post about a tv show that I love and that I know most of you love as well! I just could not get over last night's episode...the skinny dipping, the date with Elyse and sending Jennifer home! I actually really liked Jennifer and thought that her and Ben had something good going on. I think it may be the fact that she was a little more reserved than the other girls (aka Courtney) that kind of threw him off. I was hoping more than anything that Ben was going to send Courtney home at the rose ceremony, just to show her how he regrets going skinning dipping with her. Yeah, guess not.

[ she wasn't my favorite, but I did feel bad for her ]

[ I really liked Jennifer and was mad Ben sent her home so soon ]

I am glad that he kept Emily around, even though she needs to STOP talking about Courtney on her one on one time with Ben. I love that she has such a good heart though and doesn't want Ben to get hurt...I just don't want her to get sent home soon because of it!

All in all Kacie B. is still my fav. I think she'll go really far and hopefully she's the one! (yay!) I am excited for next week because it definitely hints that Ben sends Courtney home, but ABC does love to trick you from time to time. That being said, I'm getting sucked into this show more and more each week, and I love it :)

What did you guys think of last night's show? Were you happy, sad, shocked? Hey, we're all girls here and my husband totally knows I watch this show, so spill away! :)

- JK

Miscellany Monday

2012-01-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday everyone! I am linking up with Carissa at lowercase letters for another Miscellany Monday!

For once my weekend actually seemed long, which was amazing! Jordan and I headed to Ohio on Wednesday and just got back last night around 7. It was a great trip and we were blessed to be able to see so many of our friends that still live in the area. Not to mention that we got to hang out with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law several times which is always so fun, as well as our little nephew who gets cuter every time we see him!

It was so crazy being back in Cedarville and not being a student there anymore. As I was walking around, and no longer recognizing any of the faces, I suddently felt so old. I got to visit Career Services where I used to work and say hi to all my co-workers and bosses. I also got to grab coffee with the adorable Miss Emma who has a wonderful blog that you should all check out here as well as my good friend Amy who I haven't seen in such a long time! I love catching up with great friends, even if it was just for a little while.

Anyways, on to the the Miscellany Monday part of this blog!

On Saturday, my friend Sara and I decided to make a pinterest craft (what else is new!). Since we are both newlyweds, and are obsessed with anything related to our wedding and our new husbands, we made a canvas that consisted of all the signifcant dates in each of our relationships, highlighting our wedding date among those other five dates.

[ I wasn't planning on doing wedding colors (green/gray) but I really loved the way it turned out! My camera isn't the best but you can see that 09-04-11 is in gray, which is our wedding date. We were so happy with how they turned out ]

I also decided to see for myself what is so great about the EOS chap stick that I've seen everyone have. My good friend Meg over at something beautiful told me that I needed to get one, so I did! I got the sweet mint flavor and I have to say that I do love it. I still use my Palmers Cocoa Butter but I love to combine them both for a minty twist. And, how adorable of a design is it, I'm a sucker for anything well designed :)

Also while I was picking up my EOS at CVS I came upon some great deals that I couldn't pass up! I have wanted red lipstick for a while now but just didn't want to spend $10 on something that I wasn't sure how it was going to look on me. Well it was my lucky night because I got red lipstick and a deep red nail polish by Revlon both at 75% off. The lipstick was around $2 and the nail polish was a little more than $1 - how great is that!?

I hope that you all had a great weekend as well! Can't wait for another exciting two hour episode of The Bachelor tonight! Jordan and I are cleaning up the apartment and going grocery shopping today since his parents are coming to stay with us tomorrow! We are so excited to be with family and to be able to spend a few days with them! Happy Monday everyone!

-JK

Be still my heart...

2012-01-26T20:57:00.000-08:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I have wanted a dog of my own. When I met Jordan and found that he loved dogs just as much as I did, and had two of his own in NJ, I knew had I married the perfect man!

So last night Jordan and I went to the pet store just for fun. Probably not the best idea since we both want a dog. As we were looking around the pet store, we quickly discovered the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on. I don't think I have ever wanted anything so badly in my life, knowing full well that it wasn't going to happen. Not only is this beautiful siberian husky puppy a steep price of $799 (since his brown fur is so rare), we are also not allowed to have any pets at our apartment complex which was kind of a problem. Sad, sad day.

Just take a look at him, I literally fell in love, fast.

I literally went to bed thinking about this puppy, woke up thinking about him and probably thought about him a million times throughout the course of the day. Why is that it's always the things in life that you CAN'T have that you want the most? Although I am learning to be content with what I do have, it's so hard to ignore that face, or those bright blue eyes. I could get lost in those eyes!

I can't wait until we have the money and ability to have our own dog though..I know our perfect dog is out there, it's just a matter of time until we find him!

Goodnight sweet puppy,

-JK

Learning to be content

2012-01-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

So lately I've been thinking about all of the things that we don't have for our apartment and how badly I want them. I've also been struggling with being content with what we have, because there are so many people out there who have so little in life. I really can't complain because I have a wonderful life. I married my best friend, have two amazing families that love and support us, and have some of the best girl friends I could ever ask for. Even though I want to buy the latest, prettiest things for our apartment, I know that the things of this world are worthless.

[1 John 2:15-17]
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love to the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life-is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
This verse is such a great reminder to me how unimportant the things of this world truly are. Even though it's hard for many people (including myself) to see this, in the end our earthly possession will fade away, but the love of God will remain forever.

That being said, a girl can still dream right?! :) Let me give you some examples of what I'd currently love to buy for our place!

I love this chrome rolling hamper from Crate and Barrel:

[ currently we are using Jordan's old plastic laundry basket from college, with one handle missing and one dangling by a thread ]

Next, I would love if we had this simplehuman chrome trash can from Crate and Barrel:

[ instead we are using Jordan's black plastic garbage can from Target that he bought for college ]

I would probably cry if we had this kitchen island from Crate and Barrel:

[ right now we are using (one more time) Jordan's plastic shelf from Walmart that his two older brothers both used when they were in college - do you think it's considered an antique yet?! ]

Finally, I am in love with this media center from Crate and Barrel
[ right now we have a metal table that was here when we moved in, that I decided to cover with a fabric since it wasn't the prettiest thing :) ]

I know that some of you may be thinking that these are such small things that really don't matter. Or you're be thinking to yourselves why doesn't she just go out and buy them? The truth is that I would love to buy all four of these, but being newlyweds on a newlywed's budget we both know we don't need these items right now. We do know however, that we can put the money elsewhere especially since neither of us are working a lot right now. I can't wait until I feel like a real married adult, instead of a married "young woman" who is still using college items to decorate her apartment. I can't waitl until we are at the point in our lives when we can buy items like these and burn our college stuff :) Who knows when that time will come, but for now I am a real life example of "living with what you got" - literally.

-JK

Miscellany Monday

2012-01-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today I'm linking up with Carissa to do my first Miscellany Monday!

The hubby and I had a good weekend together at home. He worked on Friday and Saturday but on Sunday we were able to go to church, and then go out for Mexican (my fav) and Jenis ice cream (amazing) to celebrate our 4 year anniversary of being together. We started officially dating on January 22nd 2008, and even though we are married now, I thought it would still be fun to celebrate this day in our lives that officially brought us together.

Since we are trying to not spend a lot of money, I decided to do what any good wife would do and BAKE! I have become obsessed with baking lately and knew that my husband would love something sweet :) It's kind of been a tradition for the past few years that I always make funfetti cupcakes, since we both love it! I know it's weird, but sometimes there's nothing like a good ole' box cake to settle your sweet tooth.

Here is a pic of the cupcakes, we had to pace ourselves because they are were so yummy!

I am so blessed to be married to my best friend. God truly has given us a wonderful life together and I can't wait for many more anniversaries with this man!

In other news, although Mondays used to be my least favorite day of the week, they have now become my absolute favorite thanks to THE BACHELOR! Okay ladies, how many of you are in love with this show as I am? I think I have an idea of who Ben will pick in the end, but only time will tell!

Hope you all had a great weekend too, and are counting down the hours until The Bachelor!

-JK

High Five for Friday!

2012-01-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

So today I've decided to try out something new by linking up with Lauren from My Grey Desk to talk about my five favorite things from this week! You should also check out my best friend Megan's new blog where I was first introduced to "High Five for Friday". She just started her blog and let me tell you that it is as fabulous as she is!

MY FIVE FAVORITE THINGS:

[ I got this Naked eyeshadow set by Urban Decay from my sister-in-law Brittany for Christmas! I have totally become obsessed with it and use it everyday. The colors are perfect for ever skin tone and I love that it adds a pop of color without being too much. ]

[ Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It is my goal to read all of the Jane Austen books this year so I decided to start with this classic. I have not been able to put it down since I got it. No mater who you, you can't help but fall in love with Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy! ]

[ My homegrown mug from Anthropologie may be one of my favorite things ever. I swear that everything I put in it, just tastes better! I love that "j" was purple since it is one of my favorite colors. It's the perfect mug, and for $8, everyone needs their own! ]

# 4

[ If you are like me and love anything with mint in it, then you will love these new cookies from Keebler. They have a mint creme inside and they are simply delicious. As you can see, we have been loving them (maybe a little too much!) ]

[ As I mentioned in my last post I have become obsessed with Pinterest and making all of the wonderful things I see on there. Well this guy has become one of my new favorite things. I love that all of my necklaces are together and hang neatly where I can find them. The knobs are from Anthro, which I think are my favorite part about this guy. So thank you Pinterest for the wonderful idea! ]

Well there you have it! Happy Friday everyone, I hope you all have a great weekend!

-JK

Pinterest Projects

2012-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

So if you are not familiar with Pinterest, then you need to stop reading this blog right now and go request an invite! It has seriously changed my life (a little dramatic I know). But seriously, I have gotten so many wonderful ideas from Pinterest. I wanted to share with you today some projects that I made after seeing them on Pinterest. Most of them only took me a few minutes and have honestly become some of my favorite decorations in our apartment.

The first project I did was the Kate Spade inspired confetti canvas that I first saw on mintlovesocialclub.com. Her version was in gold but I decided to do silver instead, even though I might make a gold one now too to go next to it! All you need is a canvas, mine is 16x24 (free from JS), some glitter, shiny and matte paper from your local craft store (I got mine from Michael's) and a circle cutter which was around $10.00 (with a 50% off coupon) also from Michael's. To attach the circles I purchased Elmers spray adhesive which was $4.99 at Michael's. All you do is decide how large you want your circles to be (I went with 2") and then cut them out and place the circles randomly on the canvas. The result is a random assortment of shiny/sparkly circles :)

Materials needed:

-medium sized canvas

-6-8 sheets of glitter, shiny and matte paper

-circle cutter

-spray adhesive

The next project I decided to work on was a necklace hanger made from a piece of wood and five knobs which I got from Anthropologie at a shocking price of only $1.44 each (gotta love employee appreciation week!). Now I can't take all the credit for this one, since my dad did most of the drilling, sanding and cutting :) I did pick out the knobs and spray paint the wood though, and I told him which order I wanted the knobs to go in! Okay so he did most of the work, but either way, this was just what I needed for all my long necklaces and I absolutely love it!

Materials needed:

-scrap wood

-knobs

-spray paint

-a man with lots of power tools :)

This next project was something I had in college, but on the day of graduation when we were moving out of my house, as I was taking it off the wall, it broke in half :( I was so upset because it had been the best jewelry hanger ever, and it was a gift from my Aunt Kristine before I left for college. Well I was finally able to fix the frame and hang it up again. All you need is an old frame, some spray paint, a radiator grill to fit inside your frame, and some s-hooks (you can find them at Home Depot) if you are using it to hang necklaces off of it. I just decided to hang earrings off of it since I have my new necklace hanger, but the choice is yours!

Materials needed:

-wooden frame

-radiator grill

-s-hooks (optional)

Next we move on to something that is still a 'work in progress'. Ever since I was little I would always save bags from shopping trips, but when I moved out of my house in September I threw most of them away, without even thinking! When I moved to Nashville I saw on pinterest how someone started framing their bags and putting them up on the wall. Now I didn't want to frame the bags just yet since we rent this apartment and I have already put WAY too many holes in the wall. I came up with an idea of how to display my shopping bags without damaging anything. Ever heard of command hooks? :) They are a renters best friend! I want this wall to be covered floor to ceiling but being on a newlywed's budget it may take a while!

Materials needed:

-a wall

-shopping bags from your favorite stores

-command hooks

For the last project, I need to give credit to my good friend Sara Ziegenfuss after she did something similar with random wedding cards and decorations that she wanted to display. When I saw this idea on her facebook I fell in love with it! What better way to put your favorite wedding cards and other small items on display than to frame them? I would like to make some type of background where I can hang the cards off of, but for now this is what I have and I do love it! This is hanging on the wall directly across from our bed, so every morning I wake up and am reminded of our amazing wedding day :)

Materials needed:

-large wooden frame

-cards, photos or any other memorable items

Well those are all of the Pinterest projects that I have for now, but I'm sure I'll be making lots more in the future! Have you made any fun projects from Pinterest? If so, let me know, I'm always looking for a great DIY! Thanks for reading!

-JK

DIY: Anthropologie's Zinc Letters

2012-01-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

I am excited to share this DIY project with you today! I found this knock off project of Anthropologie's Zinc Letters on Pinterest (duh, right?) but I need to give credit to 436living.com who first did this project on her blog! Everyone loves Anthropologie's Zinc letters but the price is hard to get over at $18 each. Every time I work, see these letters and wish that they were mine. Well, I am so glad that I didn't buy them, because not only did I save money but I have the reward of putting something up in our apartment that I made myself!

This was such an easy project to complete, all you need are paper mache letters from Hobby Lobby (or any other craft store) for $2.47 each, and a can of Rust-oleum spray paint in metallic silver from Walmart for $5.99. I loved the look of "E-A-T" so I decided to replicate that myself. I'm waiting to hang them on the wall until I get some double sided tape.

So there you have it! Super easy and modern art for your kitchen or any room of your choice. I love all things typography along with the fact that these letters are the first thing you see when you walk into our kitchen. Hope you enjoyed!

-JK

More than a move.

2012-01-11T11:05:00.000-08:00

I cannot lie, I have been blessed incredibly throughout my 22 years of life and I have especially been blessed by having a wonderful husband. Our move to Tennessee was not an easy one, to say the least. Having to say goodbye to a lot of our friends and family back home. We know that we are young though, and that this is just the a small chapter in our 'book'.

So as some of you may know, the reason why we moved to Nashville in the first place was so Jordan could pursue his music career with one job in particular. That one job that he moved here for, is not happening any time soon. He found out a few days ago and as much as his boss Nick wants to hire him, they are simply waiting on more artists to join the tour, which will produce more money, which in turn would allow Nick to hire Jordan full time. I never fully understood the term 'waiting game' until now. Since we are both faced with part time jobs in a new city, we were unsure as to what we were going to do. After being home for the holidays, we both thought a lot about whether or not staying here in TN was such a good idea. We tossed around ideas of what jobs we could possibly get back home, and Jordan's parents even offered to let us stay with them in order to save money.

Now I can't lie when I say this next statement...I was really excited about the thought of moving back. It wasn't because I wasn't happy here, because I really am, but it was simply because home is where my heart is. Don't get me wrong, we have great friends here who have been so incredible in making us feel loved and welcome. Now all that being said, we have decided to wait it out and stay in Nashville. Some of you might be thinking why stay there if you want to move back? Well the thing is that I LOVE Jordan and I know that his dream of working in the music industry is something he wants so badly. I know it would kill him if he just gave up now on something he has wanted for so long. We have decided that we need to at least give it one full year and then we will assess our situation and see what we feel is best for us as a couple. We both keep saying that when that time comes and we are not loving life here in TN, then we will move back. It's as simple as that, but we do know that four months is just not enough time to really figure that out.

Well I just wanted to share with you all what has been on my heart. It has been a roller coaster of emotions to say the least. I would find myself thinking of all the great things that moving back had to offer, which I know was not the smartest idea. It was a rough couple of days when we both realized that staying here was the best decision for us now, but Jordan was so wonderful and so supportive. Just knowing that he is always going to be here for me, and that we are on this journey together no matter what. It's crazy to think what will happen in the next 8 months or so. We could stay here, or we could be packing up our lives to move back to the East Coast. We know that whatever the choice may be, it is what God has in store for us, and that is all I need.

I will say that I am SO excited to have some of my favorite people come visit me in the next few months! I'll give you the break down of each month: Jordan's parents are most likely coming the end of this month, which we are both so excited about! February there isn't really anyone coming, but it is Valentine's Day and our 6 month anniversary! In March my two best friends Megan and Rachael are coming to visit! GIRLS WEEK! :) In April my parents and sister are coming to stay for a few days - my mom has always wanted to go to the Cornbread Festival here in TN so they are staying with us for a few days and then I'm going with them to the festival which is a few hours away. In May it will be our one year mark for having graduated! June is the start of wedding season with my brother and soon to be sister and then my good friend Hannah! July is my birthday and then August will put us around the one year mark where we will be making some more decisions! Thank the Lord for friends and family to keep me going when times are hard.

Thanks for reading what was on my heart. I am so excited to be able to share with you all that Jordan and I learn along the way. I am truly so blessed in so many ways and know that life is not always easy, but when God closes one door he ALWAYS opens another.

-JK

2011:Year in Review

2012-01-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a little late since it's now 2012, but I thought it would be fun to do a year in review, since it's been my favorite year to date :)

It all started in April when I planned Elliv for my school. It was a year long process, that included a lot of sweat, tears and stressful days, but in the end it all came together and was one of my favorite memories of college. I went with a vintage circus theme and some might call me bias but it may or may not be my favorite theme to date :) Here I am pictured below with my right hand girl Rebecca DeRose. She was my personal assistant and I can honestly say that I could not have pulled it off without her!

In May I graduated from Cedarville University with a B.A. in Graphic Design with minors in Studio Art and Bible. It was such a surreal day for me, walking across that stage, accepting my diploma. It was bittersweet to say the least knowing that I had to say bye to some of the greatest friends a person could ask for. I think I was so optimistic simply because I knew I was getting married in 4 short months :)

I was blessed to have bridal THREE showers, I am one lucky girl! My first one was held by my best friends/housemates at school prior to graduation. The second was hosted by my sister in law and mother in law in New Jersey, and the third was hosted by my sister (maid of honor), my mom and my two bridesmaids Nisha and Nicole in Connecticut. They were truly three of the most amazing showers I could have ever imagined. Each and every one was so special and really made me feel so loved by those who spent all the time and energy to make them happen.

Shower #1 - Hosted by my bridesmaids/housemates at our house at school

Shower #2 - Hosted by Britt and Mom K. at Jordan's house in NJ

Shower # 3 - Hosted by Jess, Mom, Nisha and Nicole at Jess' church in CT

And for the record, those are three DIFFERENT ivory dresses :) Let me just tell you how hard of a time it was to find those, but I did!

My favorite memory from 2011 would be a certain day in September, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon :) On September 4th, 2011 I had the privilege of marrying my best friend and the love of my life, Jordan Knoedler! It was truly the most amazing day of my life and I could not have asked for anything more. We have the most amazing pictures to look at to remember our day, as well as some of the most incredible videos a bride could ask for. I am so glad that we decided to pay the extra money for our vidoegrapher, I cannot even tell you how many times I have watched our wedding videos! Jordan and I have said that we wish we could go back and have our wedding again, because it was truly the best day of our lives! God truly has blessed us and we are so lucky to have found each other!

Our year also included moving to a new city and finding our first apartment together in Nashville. It was definitely time consuming and even to this day I feel like we haven't fully "moved in" yet, but I know that will come with time. Even though our place is small, it's home and I really do love it.

Well that sums up my year in review give or take a few events! I cannot believe that the year is over and it's the start of 2012. Who knows what significant events will take place this year, but I am excited to see what God has in store for us as Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Knoedler!

-JK

My Favorite Things Party - 2011

2011-12-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

My great sister introduced me to Melissa's My Favorite Things Party and I am excited to be able to share with you today some of my favorite things!

Palmers swivel stick - A good chap stick is a must! I have fallen in love with Palmers Cocoa Butter swivel stick and will never use anything else. It literally lasts on my lips for hours and does not leave my lips feeling greasy or sticky. Jordan and I both use it and we always have it with us at all times. I don't know how I could live without it!

MAC False Lashes Mascara - Even though it a little bit pricey, it is totally worth it! Mascara is one thing I absolutely love. It is amazing what a good mascara can do. I always feel so much better when I have it on! This one is $20 but I'm telling you, it's worth every penny. It does not clump, and it gives such a natural feathered look that is so hard to find! I also love that it really does help keep my lashes curled all day long.

Sally Hansen's Cafe Au Lait nail polish - I was always on the hunt for the perfect nude nail polish and I finally found it. This nail polish has a built in primer so it really does last for a good week or so. I also love how perfectly it matches my skin tone without blending in. At $6 it really is such a great deal. I use it all the time!

Chick-Fil-A - Now those of you who know me (and Jordan) you know that if there is one place we love to eat, it's at Chick-Fil-A. It all started in college when we did our first "Grand Opening". Let's just say it changed our lives drastically and we will forever be "chicken lovers" at heart.

Camelback water bottle - This may seem like a strange thing to add to my favorite things but I had to add it. I use this water bottle everyday and if I don't have it, I feel weird. I love the sippy straw and the fact that it's BPA free. They say that you drink 15-20% more water through the sippy straw. Well that's good to know!

RHBV - This next one I am not the most proud of, but I can't lie. I am strangely addicted to the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Let's just say that I look forward to every Monday night at 8pm. Kyle is by far my favorite..."I may not be the richest girl in Beverly Hills, but I am the luckiest". You go girl!

Ikea Stockholm pillows - There's just something about great throw pillows that I love. It took me a while to find just the right ones, but once I did, I realized how obsessed with them I was. They are the Ikea "Stockholm" pillows that I found this past summer with my sister. I knew that our futon at our apartment was black, so I deiced to just stick with the b&w color scheme. I love these pillows and for $12.99 each, they are such a steal.

Anthropologie's monogram mug - This next item is not because of the fact that I work at Anthropologie, even though I have found myself loving everything in the store now that I work there. These $6 monogram or "mister mugs" as we like to call them were given to me by one of my bridesmaid Nisha for my bridal shower in CT. The "J"mug is currently stacked on top of the "K"mug and are sitting above our sink. Every time I use these mugs, I smile. Oh the joys of a simple monogram.

On the Boarder con queso - If I can't be eating queso in one of our favorite Mexican restaurants then I will pick this brand any day. On the Boarder's Con Queso is amazing. Jordan and I love it with the restaurant style tortilla chips. Let's just say we ate a whole bottle of it in about three days...

10.

The love of my life - Now I know some of you may think this is cheesy but this truly is one of my favorite things. I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful man, and that is why Jordan (hubby) is on the list. I was going to put him as number one but just thought that would be pushing it :)

Thanks for reading My Favorite Things! I hope that you enjoyed! I'm sure by next year my list will be totally different, but for this year these are the things I love the most :) Oh and be sure check out 320Sycamore to see who else is talking about their favorite things this year!

-JK

Out of the Box

2011-12-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

As much as I love Christmas and the fact that this year I get to spend it with my HUSBAND, one thing was a little unusual this year for us both. Growing up the both of us always had real Christmas trees in our homes, which is something I always loved. However, this year we could not find a live Christmas tree within our budget plus we knew we needed lights and a stand still - not to mention decorations :)

That being said, we reluctantly decided on getting a fake tree this year only because it was SUCH a good deal. We got a 6" tree, that came with lights and a stand all for $30. We knew we wouldn't find anything cheaper. Honestly, it's not as bad as we both thought. Just the other day I heard Jordan say, "yeah, it's actually a lot nicer than I thought it was going to be" :)

Here are some pics we took to document our "out of the box" experience, as well as a pic of our decorated tree. I decided to do a silver and bird theme this year. The white birds came from my bridal shower, the silver ornaments were 30 for $4.97 at Walmart, the silver ribbon (3 rolls) came from Michael's for $1 each roll and the "K" silver topper is from our wedding cake :) I was pretty proud of myself for getting all the decorations for under $10!

Jordan and I decided that we're going to start a tradition of buying each other ornaments each Christmas as a way to remember each year. I got his today at Anthro and I can't wait for him to see it and I am even more excited to put it up next year! I'll post pics of the special ornament after Christmas. I know you're all wondering what I could have gotten my husband at Anthro that is so great?! :)

Well enjoy the pics and Merry Christmas! I hope you are all enjoying the wonderful decorations and music that comes with this wonderful time of the year!

- JK

Before & Afters

2011-11-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

It's crazy how eyebrows can really change the way a person's face looks. All I have to say is one word: threading. It really is the best discovery ever, and I will never go back. I was overdue for a threading session by almost three months, scary I know. I knew that one of the first things I needed to get done when I was home, was my eyebrows. So I did.

Truly the best $7 I've spent in a long time, just take a look for yourselves :)

Needless to say my time at home was perfect. I did a lot of nothing as well as lots of something, if that makes any sense. I got to hang out with my wonderful sister, including a sleep over (yay!) spend some quality time with my mom (always great) and then see my besties (perfect). There were trips to our favorite local breakfast spot (twice) and trips to thrift stores and fabric stores. Speaking of fabric stores leads me to my next before & after. Ever since we moved here I wanted to re-cover our dinning room chairs but since the furniture does not belong to us, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I realized that I would just go over the current fabric in case the owner wanted the red to remain (no idea why he'd want it...) but that's besides the point.

My mom and I went to this fabric store in CT where all the fabric is $2.99 so I got some for our chairs, see below, as well as to cover our tv table which I'll post soon.

So here they are...the hideous red chairs that once stared me down every day, and now the beautiful 'paint-chip' inspired fabric covered chairs that just long to be sat in.

If you can't tell, I'm a MUCH happier now!

Well that's all for tonight...thanks for reading! Oh and just in case you forgot, JORDAN COMES HOME TOMORROW! I am so incredibly excited, you have no idea!

Till next time!

Home Sweet Home.

2011-11-13T20:15:00.000-08:00

So since Jordan is gone, and since I'm not scheduled to work this week, I thought it would be a good time to go home and be with my family and besties. Now, nothing is guarenteed since I am flying standby (thanks to Jordan's dad) so hopefully I will get on all three of my flights tomorrow. I would really appreciate prayers, since it would mean so much to me to be with my family and to have some company since I've been alone these past two weeks.

This is also the first time that I'm taking just a carry on, so wish me luck! I always feel like the space fills up so fast, but I'm determined to make it all fit! It's a lot easier to have just a carry one in case you don't get on a flight when you fly stand by. I'll know that I have my bag with me at all times, even if the plan leaves without me, which I'm praying it won't!

I can't wait to see my family and to just be with them again. I also can't wait to see my best friends. I also can't wait to eat my Mom's food and to go shopping with her and my sister. Ah, there are just so many things I am excited about doing in CT.

There's just no place like home.

SO excited to see these people...

and these two :)

Who knows, hopefully my next post will be from my living room, in Connecticut :)

A little teaser for you...

2011-11-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

So I know some of you have been asking about apartment pictures and I promise I have not forgotten about them. I am just planning on doing a few more things before I put up pics. They will be up before Jordan gets home though, at least that is my goal.

It's so much easier to keep an apartment clean and organized when there's just one person home. I just have a few projects to work on first, and then I'll give you guys the grand tour :)

Here is a teaser pic for you (if you can even call it that). This picture was taken the first few days of having moved in. It's unbelievable (and slightly embarrassing). I can promise you it does NOT look anything like this now. But really, how did we even move...

Haha, well enjoy!

2 MORE WEEKS.

2011-11-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

Jordan will be home in 2 weeks! Even though it seems like a long time away, I can't believe that a week has already gone by. It's weird how some days are so good and some days are so bad. Talking to him on the phone last night, hearing his laugh and hearing about his day really made me miss him. I hate that I was a sobbing baby on the phone, but I know he loves me no matter what.

I know he is having a great time traveling all around the west coast, but I can't wait to have my baby home! I told him we are not meant to be apart :) So thankful for my amazing husband and I that I have someone so dear to me who I miss and love so much...

14 days.

Shop till you drop.

2011-11-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had the day off and I decided to go shopping! I figured when Jordan's away, it's the perfect time for some retail therapy :) I went to two thrift stores in Nashville; one was called Thift Smart and the other was called Music City Thrift. And then I went to Target, TJ Maxx, Michaels and Walmart. It was so great. So here are the items that I got with the price that I paid for them!

Hope you enjoy!

I got this gold paper mache reindeer for $1.99 and I love him. He had a crazy ribbon bow around his neck but I took it off - less is more...

The "Merry Christmas" sign was $1.99, the large ornament was .99 and the wreath was .99. Normally I would not have been drawn to the wreath because it's too country for my style but I have some ideas on how to make it more modern and for .99 I couldn't say no! I also might spray paint the ornament another color but I'm not sure yet. The sign I loved because I love everything typography and it's hard to find things that say "Merry Christmas" these days and not just "Ho, Ho, Ho".

Once again, you look at these pine cones and think about how country they are, but I keep seeing on Pinterest how people take them and spray paint them white or silver, so that is my plan! They were $1.99 for all of them, so not a bad deal at all, and they are really big, this picture doesn't do them justice.

So Jordan and I saw these when we were registering at Target for our wedding but they were too expensive for what they were since they are so small. I went into Target yesterday and sure enough there they were, on sale for $3.74. This was the last white set, so I snatched them up! You can never have too many shelves and since our apartment is so small, we don't need anything huge. These will do just fine!

So there is a funny story about this vase filler. When my mom and dad came to visit last weekend my mom and I were in a store and she found these little baby pumpkins that were used as vase fillers. She was so excited when she found them and told me how Jess had some at her house and how she loved them. So when I came across these at Target I knew that I had to buy them since clearly it's a family thing :)

I decided to sort them out to see exactly what was inside, that's why there's two pictures...

After Target I headed to TJ Maxx to see what goods they had there!

We really needed another towel rack to put behind the door as well as a hand towel ring so I found this box of goodness for only $20 (which sounds like a lot) but it came with so many different things and was just what we needed.

We also really needed a throw for our bed (or should I say I wanted a new one?) but regardless I loved this faux fur one. We had seen a couple awesome fur rugs in West Elm and other stores that we both loved but obviously could not afford. I guess the throw will do for now and for only $20 - yes please!

This next item I was so excited about! So the store I work at is closing and we recently bought one of the leather ottomans they had in the dressing room for $35 (you'll see that when I put up pics of the apartment). We both love the ottoman but since it's soft it's hard to put drinks or anything on top of it. I knew I needed to find a tray of some sorts and I've been on the hunt ever since. And then last night as I was digging through the clearance section at TJ Maxx, I found this guy for only $10! I am so in love...

I got these pumpkin and gourd vase fillers from Michael's - they were $1.50 a bag and I got two. I loved the bright colors and the cute shapes!

I also got some white spray paint because I have clearly have lots of fun projects ahead of me! I had a 40% off coupon (never go to Michael's without one) so it came to $3.50. I really like the KRYLON brand because it dries super fast and goes on really well. I typically get the satin finish but that is just personal preference :)

I also went to Walmart to get some Hard Candy make-up that I've heard so many good things about. I'm totally into watching make-up tutorials and reading reviews on make up. This is like a high end "drugstore" brand if that makes sense. There are some make-up items I will spend money on, like my MAC and Benefit products but for some items I don't see a difference and don't want to spend twice the amount.

I got a primer for $8, wet/dry blush in the "Living Doll" shade for $6 and then I got Maybelline's new gel liner which I love for $8. I wasn't sure how I was going to like any of them, but I put them on today and really liked all three. And when I was out today some guy told me that I was "very pretty" so I guess I don't look awful...but anyways, here is a pic of what I got, just in case you wanted to see!

These items were not purchased yesterday but I thought I'd go ahead and put them up anyways. I went to a church fundraiser last week and I got these items along with two leather sling bags (1 black and 1 tan) that aren't pictured for $2.50 each.

This green jewelry holder is going to be spray painted (this is where the white spray paint comes in) and I needed something to hang my bracelets off of, because I'm still hoping to do the knob jewelry hanger that I saw on Pinterest too. But for now, this will do and I love the leaf details on top (so Anthro-esque!)

I thought these leaves were too cute to pass up for .50, so I got them too! I love how realistic they are, and they stack into each other, which is always convenient.

And then I got these 5 candlesticks for $2.00. I love the varying heights and I'm going to spray paint them - white, you guessed it!

Well that pretty much sums up my shopping trip! I hope that you enjoyed the pics. I'll be sure to put up before/after pics too of my mini make-overs, as well as pictures of the apartment, which I promise are coming soon!

Till next time!

Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

2011-11-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Let's hope that is true for my case, since Jordan is literally across the country as we speak. For those of you who didn't know, Jordan was offered a position doing merch (that's merchandies for non-music people) for The Newsboys. He was offered the job last week and just left this past Monday. It was such a whirlwind of a week, and I was filled with so many emotions, I can't even begin to describe.

I was so thrilled that he was asked to do a job that he has wanted to do for years now. He told me when we first started dating how it had always been a dream of his to go on tour with a band, and now he is. When he first told me about the offer, I didn't know what to think. All I could think about was how alone I would be the next three weeks. I guess you could call that selfish, and looking back I regret not being as excited about the opportunity as he was. He was like a little kid on Christmas morning and it was so sweet. I know as his wife, I need to support him in every decision he makes and simply put, I just didn't feel like it then. He was so great through all of it, telling me again and again that if I didn't want him to do it then he wouldn't. I kept thinking about how great it would be if he didn't leave, but knew in my heart that it would crush him, and what kind of wife and best friend would I be to do that to him?

That being said, at 9:30pm on Halloween night, I dropped him off at bus call. It was there that it really began to hit me that he was leaving, and that we would be apart for the next 21 days. He did everything and anything to cheer me up and to make me laugh, which I love so much about him. He gave me a tour of his bus, aka his home, for the next three weeks which was really cool to see. I helped him pick out his bunk, until he was told by one of the guys that since he's a newbie he gets the floor bunk (aw poor baby!) I think he was just too excited that it upset me more than him :) So yeah that is what's going on lately in our lives. I'm learning how to stay busy and keep myself occupied each day so that I don't find myself thinking about being alone and missing him. I know that God gave him this great opportunity for a reason, and that His plan the perfect plan.

I am so happy for him though, and I know that this is only going to make us stronger.

Let's see...2 days down, 19 to go! :)

Lazy Sunday

2011-10-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

So yesterday was just one of those lazy Sundays and I loved it. I spent most of the morning designing the 9 prints from our first dance that I am going to put on 6x6 canvases (see Facebook). You wouldn't think something so small as that would take me so long, but it did.

I'm really glad with how it turned out though. I get such a sense of accomplishment when a design turns out well, even if it takes hours to get it perfect and even if I don't shower or change out of my pajamas until 3:00 in the afternoon...

Once Jor got home we decided to run some errands. We were on the hunt for a knock-off Under Armour long sleeve shirt that he could wear during the winter months since he's outside all day long. We went to TJ Maxx and found one for only $9.99 (we're so good.)

After that we decided to go to Ross (which is a lower end TJ Maxx) to just "look". We should both know by now that when either one of us says just to "look" it clearly means we are walking out of their with something. Sure enough, looking did us good because we both "found" great stuff.

I got this owl statue for $4.99 which is currently on our side table next to the couch.

I also got this metal key which I love. We currently have a decal of a key that is above where we hang out keys but the decal is coming off so it was time for something new and prettier :) The key was $4.99 too and I love how it says "faith" on it.

After that we went over to Target because we needed a bunch of random stuff and we had some gift cards. We really needed a calendar and I found one on clearance for only $6.04 so I was really happy about that! Here it is, nothing exciting but I thought it was a good deal!

Which leave me with one last thing...the countdown until Mom and Dad come is now only: 2 DAYS! I literally am so excited and cannot contain myself. So so ready to be with my wonderful parents!

Other than that I'm excited to eat shrimp scampi tonight with Jor (which he is making, what a wonderful husband I have) and watch The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills...that my friends is a great Monday night :)

Mom&Dad

2011-10-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to write today, because I will be hanging out with parents, in my apartment, in just one week! It honestly feels like it's been forever since I've seen them, since time has gone by so quickly here. I thought college went by fast, but I feel like married years go by even faster!

I am trying to come up with a list of fun things to do while they are here. I know we will definitely take them downtown, even though it's really not their 'scene' they need to experience the super country, hick side of Nashville :) I think mom and I are going to bake an apple pie together, I really want to learn, and why not learn from the best!

My heart is just so happy right now and I'm feeling so blessed that my parents get to come and spend a few days with us. It'll be so good to be with them again and I can't wait for them to experience Nashville and see where we live :)

Here are some pictures of us from our wedding...sometimes I look at them when I miss them...but pretty soon I get to see their faces and not just a picture! Yay!

Rugged Warehouse finds...

2011-10-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

So here are the pictures I promised :) Everything pictured was purcahsed at Rugged Warehouse, except for the blue feather earrings which I found at the flea market.

Olive green chiffon shirt - $12.99

Multi colored scarf - $4.99

Dark purple flats - $3.00

Blue handmade feather earrings - $4.00

So that's everything from this week's purchases! Apartment pictures are up next!

Coming Soon!

2011-10-18T12:06:00.001-07:00

Pictures of our apartment as well as what I purchased the other day at Rugged Warehouse are coming soon!

I just need to find my camera cord....kind of a big deal. But anyways, just wanted to let you know that lots of good pics are on their way! So stay tuned :)

On another note, I really want to visit this store: Old Made Good. It's a shop that sells a lot of vintage, handmade items and clothes. It looks like my kind of store...let me know what you guys think!

http://www.oldmadegood.com/

Just what I needed

2011-10-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

So after feeling a little down about not really having a lot of friends here in Nashville yet, our good friends Dave & Sara showed up at our doorstep (well they didn't just show up, we knew they were coming...) but anyways, you get the point. I just feel like everything always comes at the right time and it was truly just what I needed. Although it's been a little weird/annoying since Jordan and I have had to work some of the time they are here, it's been so fun the times when we aren't. We've gone out pretty much every night, in order to try to give them the Nashville experience. We went downtown last night to Broadway and it was interesting to say the least. I think there's a reason why it's only my second time there. Too many people in cowboy hats and Elvis impersonators walking around. It was an experience but we didn't stay long.

Yesterday Sara and I spent most of our afternoon going to the flea market/farmer's market where I got some awesome blue feather earrings, which I am currently wearing :) I know feathers have been around for a while back home, etc but they are HUGE here. Pretty much every store carries them and people freakkk out about them. I mean I would never paid more than like $5 for mine, that's why I was extremely happy when I only had to pay $4. SCORE. After our time at the flea market we headed over to Rugged Wearhouse which is owned by Gabriel Brother's (my love). It was about a half hour drive but totally worth it. I was surprised and very pleased to say the least. Sara and I got the same shirt and the same shoes, and they're awesome. We got a flowly green men's wear type shirt that is shorter in the front and longer in the back for $12.99. Totally can't wait to wear it with skinny jeans and heels. Then we got dark purple flats for $3.00 on clearance. I also got a multi colored scarf for $4.99 and Sara got a pair of gold earrings with a jade stone in the middle for $3.99 (I LOVED them and wished there was another pair!)

We had a great time though, I love when I don't spend a lot ($22) but feel like I spent a ton. It's such a great feeling. After that we headed back home and met up with the boys. We went out to dinner at a pizza place (delic) in downtown and then went over to Broadway. I think we're going to do a haunted house/hayride tonight after Jor gets off work. I hate scary movies but somehow love haunted houses. Totally brings me back to my high school days and I love it. I'm sad that they are leaving tomorrow but so glad that we've gotten to spend a great weekend with our friends. And hey, they're only 5 hours away so there's definitely lots more of these trips in the future...

Decorating...Finally!

2011-10-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

So our good friends Dave and Sara are coming to stay with us for 5 days this coming Wednesday, and we are so excited! However, it means that I need to get this place looking like a home and start putting some decorations on the walls! I spray painted 7 frames black today, and I'm going to put them above our couch (okay it's a futon)... But I can't wait to see how they turn out. Also, I just made this fabric covered canvas for the bathroom. The canvas I have had forever and the teal fabric is from JS (thank you Cedarville) and the black and silver letters are from my wedding (thank you Mom & Dad). I love when I re-use things and don't have to buy a single thing! It was a fun project since Jor is working until 1:30am tonight...but he's valeting for the after party of the premier of Footloose! I hope he seems some celebs :) Anyways, I just wanted to share with you all my excitement to decorate. I love the idea of a white wall being my blank cavas, where there are so many options as to how to make a place feel your own. I will post pictures of what I do as decorate different rooms. Here is a pic of the canvas I just made for our bathroom...enjoy!

I have a job! :)

2011-09-28T16:20:00.000-07:00

After praying and applying to so many places, I am so excited to say that I finally have a job! It's just a part time job for right now but I am still so excited and so blessed to have it. I am working at this super cute boutique in a really nice part of Nashville called "The Gulch". It's called the Nashville Clothing Company and they sell really unique, one of a kind pieces for men and women. (see pics above) I just started last night and it went really well. There are a lot of regulars that come in so I'm excited to meet some new people in the area. Also, I had a second interview with Anthropologie yesterday, so I'm still waiting to hear back from them! I hope to find a real, big girl job someday soon, but for now these part time retail jobs are such a blessing and I am so thankful for what I have!

On another note, we finally got internet and tv today! We signed up for basic cable, but as of now we have a lot of channels, and we're hoping it's not just for a few weeks and that it'll stay! I love having Bravo and the Food Network! I can't believe we've been here for a week and a half already. Time sure does fly when you're having fun!

On the menu tonight: Homemade chicken noodle soup with lemon! I like this whole wife thing...a lot :)

Truly Blessed

2011-09-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

So even though Jordan has been working a ton of hours (which we are so grateful for) it's given me the chance to explore Nashville a little on my own. I still can't believe that I'm living in Nashville, Tennessee...I mean who would have thought? New York, Boston maybe...but it's crazy to me that we ended up here in Nashville. That being said, I think that sometimes God puts you in places that you'd least expect to find yourself. Even though I don't have a job yet (I have applied to several and am still waiting to hear back), I am truly blessed. Our apartment isn't big by any means, but we have a roof over our heads, it has electricity and there is super comfortable bed to sleep in every night. Even though I don't drive the nicest car (we had to get it fixed on our way out here, which cost $625!) I have a car that gets me from point A to point B. Most importantly, I have a loving husband who has been working doubles at his job, just so he can provide for us. I've always known how great of guy Jordan was, but I'm truly beginning to see more and more each day just how selfless and loving he is. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to call him my husband. Not everyone is lucky enough to find the man of their dreams, but I did and I am so thankful that God put us together. Now I won't lie, I am looking forward to when he'll have normal work ours again so we can hang out, but I know that will come with time. Even though I miss him a ton when he's gone, the one good thing about him working so much is when he does come home, it's the best thing ever.

Okay serious thoughts aside, today was a good day! Let's see, I decided to sleep in late just because I could and had nothing better to do :) I just kind of lounged around for a while and read in bed. The air was still a little crisp and our bed is incredibly comfortable (thank you fully-furnished apartments, which is totally another blessing as well!) and there was just enough light coming through the window where I could read my book. It was perfect to say the least. After I read for a while, I decided to make a big breakfast/brunch for Jor to come home to! I've been trying to be a good wife and attempt to cook good food...I think I've done pretty well so far, at least that's what Jordan says :) So I decided to make fried egg sandwiches with turkey bacon and orange juice. It was yummy! He was starving when he got home so he ate it all and loved it.

After breakfast/lunch and after I got ready for the day, we decided to run some errands. I had to go to the post office, which I learned is like 1 mile down the road (how convenient) and then we headed to Macy's because we had a gift card. We were looking to buy non-stick frying pans, and a hand held strainer which I never thought would be so useful to have, but when you don't have it you realize how much you want one! That being said, the cheapest non-stick frying pans they had were 2 for $50 and we just couldn't spend that much. Also, they had no hand held strainers, which I thought was pretty ridiculous. So we left empty handed, but it was still a trip we got to spend together, so I was thankful :) Oh and did I mention the Green Hills Mall which is like one of the nicest malls I've ever been to, is just about 2 miles down the road? Dangerous...I know.

After that we just hung out at the apartment and then I had to run out to the post office because Jordan realized that he accidently packaged up my eyeglasses in the box that I was sending to my parents in CT! I had to hurry over there and proceed to wait in line foreverrrrr just to ask to open the box and take my eyeglasses out. I swear, every time I go to the post office, the people are the rudest, slowest moving people on earth! I just want to say, "could you try to like your job and put some pep in your step!" Regardless, I got the eyeglasses and headed back home to find my lovely husband had already started dinner, white chicken chili, one of our favorites! It was really nice because we got to enjoy dinner and just hang out before he headed to work. He worked 6:30am-12:30pm and then 6pm-11pm today...the poor guy. After he left I did the dishes from dinner and then I headed out to TJ Maxx which is about 6 miles away to look for some non-stick frying pans for a reasonable price! I found a 12" for 16.99 and a 10" for 12.99, so I bought them both :) I also got a gray faux rock bath math on to put under the sink on clearance for $4 and some lime shortbread cookies to munch on. I spent $40 which I know sounds like a lot, but when sales tax is 9.25% it adds up fast. I still can't believe that, that's one thing I may never get used to...

So after a productive and fun day, here I am. I'm actually not at Starbucks tonight, which would be the third night in a row. I'm hanging out at our friend Sy and Jennie's apartment in downtown. They are on vacation for the week and offered to let us hang out and watch tv, use the internet. They have the cutest dog Barley too, which I'm in love with. Haven't seen him yet since I got here...maybe I should go check on him! Okay well that pretty much sums up my day. Nothing super excited but a good one to say the least. Overall, I am just so happy to be here and to be married to Jordan. Life is good and God is good.

-One last thing: I finally made the Facebook name change yesterday, so I am officially Jillian Knoedler! I am excited to say the least :)

We Made It!

2011-09-21T15:10:00.000-07:00

Even though we currently don't have internet in our apartment yet, I was able to sneak away to Starbuck's to enjoy some free internet, so I could check my emails and post my first blog. We are hoping to get our internet on soon, we're just shopping around to find the best deal. Even though we've only been here 4 days now, it's been so great so far. Here are some things I've observed just in driving/traveling around the city...

-Sales tax is 9.25% (yikes!)
-Stop lights are 5x longer than the ones in CT
-Pretty much everyone I have talked to or been around has an accent, sometimes it's so strong I can't even understand them!
-The people here are extremely wealthy...I've never seen so many expensive cars and Louis Vuitton bags in my entire life; Jordan said the people here aren't necessarily ''rich", they just like to spend their money on material things so people can 'one-up' each other.
-The scenery is beautiful; there are so many old and unique churches and the grass is greener than anywhere I've ever seen before!
-There are lots of cute shops and restaurants all over, that Jordan and I can't wait to explore.

Those are just a few of the observations I've made since we got here...I'm sure there will be lots more to come. I am really excited to start our lives here together and to have this place feel like home. Jordan and I have been loving married life so far. We can't believe that we are actually married and get to spend every day together, with each other by our side. We are so blessed and are so thankful for all God has done to bless our marriage, even in the 2 and a half weeks we've been married. I am so excited to share my thoughts, struggles and exciting times with you all here. I hope that I will be as good of a blogger as my sister, I know I have big shoes to fill :)

I'll post pictures of our place once we get everything organized and situated! It's small, but it's ours and I love it! :)