Merry Christmas From The Purfeersts

I just love writing The Purfeersts.

I know it's been a while, so why not start blogging again with an easy one?

I didn't quite get around to mailing Christmas cards this year, but I found this completely amazing app that made some for me. (Super easy, super cute. Red Stamp is a must on your iPhone.) Sooooo, being the social media, tech-savvy girl I am, I figured why cut down a tree? These little buggars are going out digitally!

So Merry Merry Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

Hope Santa brings you something good!

Jamie

Going To The Chapel

And we are going to get married.

Folks, I have two days until I become Jamie May Purfeerst.

Soooo excited. I love the guy I am marrying as much as life itself and I can't wait to become his wife.

Wish me luck that I remember my lines and that he doesn't faint. Until then, I have to run, I have a massage at 1, a couch being delivered at 2 and a whole pile of decorations to organize.

Love,

J. May

Fail. Big fat fail.

I am blaming it on the can opener.

Let's just say something went terribly wrong. The tomato sauce ended up on my face, my white shirt and all over our kitchen. I don't think it's how it's supposed to open?!

This chili better be good. And now I have to go wash my clothes...

Let's hope tomorrow is a better day!

Until then,

J.May

What I Am Loving Right Now

Life is good folks. Really good. 

It took me 23 years to figure it out, but I feel like I have finally hit my prime. I am sure it is one of those things that come and go, but for now, there is a lot of things that are making me love life. I present them to you in no particular order and in completely random thoughts.  

• Nail Polish. I owe my BFF Alyssa for this new obsession. I think before this summer I owned one color of polish and it might have been clear. Now, I own a trillion. I am currently sporting gray, but I also love deep purple. I have yet to fork over more than $4 for my bottles, but I have feeling that might come soon. Do you know how much more put together you feel when your nails are painted?

• My Fiance. For real, he's fantastic. He drives me nuts usually once a day, but he also keeps me sane and makes me laugh, so it balances out in my opinion. Plus, he got his haircut and has taking a liking to this new shirt I bought him, so he's been looking sharp lately. Basically, he's a catch.

• Caribou's Pumpkin White Chocolate Mocha. It's delicious. Try it. Don't think about the calories (but at least get it skim!) and just enjoy it. It's really one of those simple pleasures. I fully intend on buying one tomorrow on the way to work just to help me get to the weekend.
  

  

  it's the best 4.23 you'll ever spend
  

• Chief. Thanks to a new car purchase, I have a CD player and my first ever CD! I started with what might be the best CD out there -- Eric Church's Chief. I don't know why he doesn't make every one of those songs a single they are that good. Personal favorite? Springstein.

• My Bridesmaids. This wedding planning has been a marathon and they are currently being my personal cheerleaders at mile 22. Alyssa Bigelow unfortunately got a job (so proud of her!) and she can't be my everyday wedding planner, but I owe her mucho. And with two big bachelorette parties in a row, I get to spend lots of time with them. God blessed me with some fantastic people in my life.

• Blazers. Specifically, my old judging blazers that came out of the closet and became my best friends. Did you EVER think a blue corduroy jacket would be cool again? Pair it with some flats, skinnies, a scarf and voila, you are good to go. And that khaki jacket I bought because B. Williams convinced me navy blue wasn't cool in college is now a go-to fall jacket. Give me some perfectly painted nails and a blazer and I feel like I could conquer the world.

• My Parent's Present. I can't tell you details, but I PROMISE I will after the wedding. Until then, I am just going to be really proud of Mark and I. It's so fantastic, I don't want to give it away.

• Blogging. It feels good to be a little sarcastic and a little vulnerable again.

And what I am not liking right now? Verizon Wireless, the fact that I never wake up to my alarm clock. and that I haven't seen my niece or nephew in a week. However, these all can be cured with a Pumpkin White Chocolate Mocha tomorrow morning.

Until then,

j.may

Why Hello Strangers

No, I didn't completely forget how to blog, I just took a slight hiatus.

Truth of the matter is, I check blogspot.com every day to get my daily reading of Crystal.Cattle, A. Liz Adventures and Craftaholics Anonymous. I just never actually blog.

Basically, I fell off the blogging boat. But, I am jumping back on folks, I promise.

I know what you're saying, "We've all heard that before, Jamie." And you have and you will again. But for now, please accept my begging and pleading for your forgiveness and welcome me back!?

So how 'bout I start you off with a little review of life?

The last few months went a little like this...

Summer came and not only did I get busy at work and start having mild "I am a wedding planning failure" heart attacks, but then we started spending every waking minute at a cattle show and I loved it. Then the State Fair came and if you know ANYTHING about me, you know how much I love the MN State Fair. Honestly, it's 12 days of heavenly bliss and 2011 was no different. In fact, I still owe you a blog post about those amazingly delicious mashed potatoes on a stick. Really, I am craving some this very instant.

family bonding at Dakota County Fair

Then I sent my dear little brother off to college and got to experience the "empty nesting" phenomen with my parents. A positive of the experience? I think I am prepared for what it will be like for Mark and I fourty years from now. Eventually we got over it though and Mama May and I dived in head first to all things wedding. I had two bridal showers, a family fish fry and a five-year class reunion (yes, FIVE already!) all to fit into one weekend. It was overwhelming and fantastic.

Fast forward to the next weekend and I finally bought a car! Allelulia! Amen! Praise the Lord! They even paid me money (a pathetic amount, but it was something) for my old car. So, I am a proud new owner of a navy blue 2010 Nissan Altima. It's not quite what I was thinking of getting, but it's really practical and it might be a good time in my life to be practical. Maybe that Lincoln can be my next car!?

The next week I got to drive that new car to the hospital to visit my baby nephew, Blake Aaron Stark. We all love him a lot. I can't actually confirm that with his big sister yet, but she did stop calling him "that baby" so I think they are progressing.

excuse my messy hair, it was a looonnng day.

Then October came and we became obsessed with sale cattle. Honestly, I know more about Purfeerst's cattle than my family's cattle. But with the Harvest Roundup Sale coming up this weekend, and seven more calves to sell off the farm, we have to be pretty serious I guess.

And to continue the blur of October, I made a quick trip to Fargo last weekend to relive my glory days and celebrate the wedding with besties! Basically my take away from that trip was that I have fantastic girlfriends and my body could still physically handle college. And that's a relief to know.

aren't they gorgeous?

And that brings me to today where I mastered all things wedding. But given that the countdown number is getting scarily small, I better start mastering this thing soon!

Thanks for being patient and waiting for me to come back. I hope to goodness we talk again soon!

Much love,

JLM

Providing Great Beef To Consumers Around The World

"What we do as an industry is really exciting, because what we do is provide great beef to the consumers around the world."

I found this video from U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance this morning & love it. What a great look into the beef industry and the real people behind it! Make sure to check it out!

And why don't you pass it along? I bet you have some friends who might need to watch it too.

Happy Thursday!

Jamie

Wordless Wednesday: Thanks, God

Keeping it simple today.

These 11 words say everything I am thinking.

Weekly Wedding Update: The Wedding Registry

I am stressed out over something that shouldn't stress anyone out. Go figure.

What is it?

I can't decide what FiestaWare colors to register for. (Lame, I know.)

But in my defense, why would anyone give anyone all these options!?

And this isn't even all of them!

I have debated and debated and the end results is that I just can't decide. And we all know Mark hates making decisions, so he is currently no help.


So, any savvy decorators out there have any suggestions? Should I do Turquoise & Scarlett? Or Paprika & Marigold? Or maybe throw in some Shamrock?

I am currently open to every option, so leave me a comment and help me out. And please, don't look at my registry...it currently screams "this girl doesn't know what she is doing when it comes to FiestaWare." Hopefully, I can somehow fix that soon?

Weekly Wedding Update: A Real Big List

The list is growing instead of shrinking I think.

Here is the thing. I love my fiance with all of my heart, but when it comes to planning a wedding some days he drives me impossibly nuts. Now, I try not to get too mad because I know we have different personalities, but still, I just want this darn list to shrink not grow. But unlike me, he doesn't smile every time he checks something off our list. He doesn't finish one list to make another list just to accomplish more. You see, for Mark one thing a day is a lot and he never can quite decide on what he wants to do (He is a "P"). For me, one thing a day is failure (I am a "J").

So the list making continues...

Here is the dauntingly big list that leaves me tossing and turning at night. Feel free to take any jobs off my hands.

1. Design, print and send invitations.
2. Decide on "fun facts" for napkins.
3. Finalize wedding music, determine a processional song and get complete list to singer & pianist.
4. Figure out table linens & napkins.
5. Design programs.
6. Design cards for tables.
7. Write a short blurb about each attendant for program.
8. Confirm with readers, dessert bar attendees & guest book person.
9. Decide on what we are doing for a guest book.
10. Meet with our couple from our parish.
11. Order wine.
12. Order alchohol.
13. Finalize meal for reception.
14. Finalize meal for rehearsal dinner.
15. Decide on what do do for bachelorette party.
16. Find purple heels.
17. Find lace TOMS.
18. Find a hairdresser.
19. Get a MAC makeover & purchase makeup.
20. Order groomsmen gifts.
21. Order/make bridesmaid gifts.
22. Get MOB, MOG & so on gifts.
23. Double check on registry items.
24. Buy or make a veil.
25. Lose 5 lbs.
26. Order Mrs. & Mr. signs
27. Get shrug in case it is cold.
28. Order wedding handbag on September 3.
29. Get wedding garter.

Now that you read it are you freaking out too? 

But seriously, if you have any ideas on any of those items above, I WOULD LOVE SUGGESTIONS. All of your comments have been so helpful so far, especially the wedding music tips, I loved them!

And am I forgetting something? (Except breathing, relaxing & spending time with Mark, family & friends?) Thanks so much for being a support system for me!

Much Love,

The Stressed Bride-To-Be

Connecting Farm To Fork

I was going to blog today, but I found someone who said it so much better than I could.

Before yesterday, I had never heard of Amy on the Prairie, but I am sure glad I did and you can bet I am a new follower.

Amy is a MN-grown city girl that is so eerily connected to values of rural America, that you would of thought she grew up on a farm. However, she promises us she didn't and even admits, she had a ten year stint as a vegetarian.

Which is why it's even more impressive that she gets modern food production and our need to feed a hungry world so perfectly.

 Our family of four is on a budget and I buy food we can afford.  Most of the food we buy is a product of conventional agriculture. That means, our produce was grown with the aid of fertilizers, pesticides and genetically modified (GMO) seeds to increase yields. And, our meat is typically from larger farms where animals are raised in large facilities with the aid of technology and interventions like antibiotics.  I feel comfortable eating this food and serving this food to my family. -- Amy On The Prairie

Here's what I I like about Amy's Farm to Fork: I Think Our Food Supply is Safe blog: I support eating local. I buy from the kid next door who grows fresh veggies. I have never cooked beef that wasn't my own and I try to eat fresh, healthy food whenever possible.

But I am a 20-some college graduate who, while I am getting a steady paycheck, has bills and loans to pay off and I can't afford to buy organic, local food every time I get groceries. And folks, I probably am better off than 70% of the world right now...so if I can't do it, how do you expect everyone else to too.

I applaud Amy for confronting a hot, trendy topic in food production right now; her points are extremely important for all of us to understand. These stats from Alltech help hit it home:

925 million people go to bed hungry each night and we add 219,000 extra mouths to the globe each day

How can we afford to overlook the millions of people that are starving when we have the technology and the ability to feed them?

I think it's a question we all must answer before stepping up on to our soapbox.

A Wedding Website

Hey Friends,

We want you to check out our wedding website! 

Do you have when and where questions? Or are you looking for a hotel? Or wondering how to get there? Or maybe your curious on the love story behind this big day? Heck, I won't even judge you if you just want to creep and figure a little bit more out about this wedding thing I keep talking about.

You can get it all at www.weddingwire.com/purfeerst2011.

Hope you like it! Pretty soon, it will be less than 100 days away, which means we better get moving and you better book your hotel if you are coming! :)

Peace & Love,

Mark & Jamie

This Music Illiterate Girl Needs Help

It's time for another weekly wedding update that hasn't been weekly at all.

I have two monsters on my to-do list right now -- wedding music and invitations.

They are stressing me out, haunting my dreams and killing everyone of my lunch hours. Every wedding planner says that they both should be done by now, but go figure, this procrastinator left them for last.

Now admittedly, the wedding music should have been expected. Remember me...the music illiterate girl who always sings the wrong words, never knows who is the singer and doesn't even attempt to name the tune?!? Yeah...I stink at picking out wedding songs too. Now luckily I have a great singer who is trying so hard to help me out and a best friend who is a little bit more on top of the music world then me, but still...I need your help.

I am on the prowl for some tasteful wedding ceremony music that is maybe a little country or a little classic, but still will pass Catholic Church standards.  And I am looking for a bit nontraditional fathers/daughter dance and some fun supper music to play on the grand piano. And of course, somehow it all has to feel just right for that Mark & I, so that means...a bit quirky, pretty classic and simple.

Can you believe it was ever this cold out!?

So got any ideas? :)

What was your wedding ceremony music? What song do you just love to hear? What's something you always thought would be fun? What did you first dance too? Let me know, leave me comments, shoot me a message, tell me in person...just help this girl out please! Can't wait to here your thoughts!

By the way, looking for more wedding information on things like hotels, registry, directions, time and locations? Check out our website that we just put up this week! You can find it at http://www.weddingwire.com/purfeerst2011.

And next week, we will cover invitations! :)

Too Busy To Blog

Well, I am back (for a minute at least).

Remember about a month ago when I told you I was going to revamp this blog? Well, I haven’t.

Part of me feels like a failure, but part of me is thankful that I have life that is interesting enough to keep me too busy to even come near blogspot.com.

And busy I have been.

I pretty much built a shed with my bare hands…ok and with my Dad, brother, fiancé, mother and every single one of my brother’s friends. But anyway, we built a shed, beatified the May ranch and somehow pulled off a graduation party for Jason May a few weeks back.

Then I went to Duluth, courtesy of AgStar and Mark Purfeerst, where I ate some fantastic food, enjoyed some time by the water and simply relaxed. It was perfect.

Upon our return though, we both had some hectic days at work and then I got busy helping my gorgeous friend get married on one of the hottest days of the whole summer. Did I mention that is was an outdoor wedding?!?

Then, I took Sunday to recover and clean a nasty pigpen in 90-degree weather and 70% humidity. And Monday? It was back to hectic work week where we somehow managed to get a huge, but fantastic, August issue out the door.

And now it’s Rice County Fair time and if you know Mark & I at all, you know we are county fair, 4-H, cattle showing junkies. So regardless of the record temperatures, we have been there everyday.  It’s kind of part of the deal though; record temperatures might make it tough for us, but it also makes it even more unbearable for cattle that are used to a 45 degree cooler. So Mark’s little brother washes his steer 6 times a day and we all are doing our best to keep them comfortable.

So that’s my rather length excuse of why I have been missing in action lately. And I come with no promises of getting better anytime soon.  I love my busy hectic life right now and I can find no good reason to sit inside and type, when I could be enjoying summer with my friends and family.

But, I can promise I will be sharing some new wedding news soon and maybe I will find time to upload some pictures from all of this fun stuff I have been doing soon! But don’t count on me please…there is a fair chance I might let you down. :)

Until next time friends,

Jamie

Giveaways, Giveaways, Giveaways

I used to be lucky.

Unfortunately, that luck seemed to disappear. I haven't won a trip to Puerto Rico or a $1,000 because a cow pooped on my square lately...it's been tough.

But, a girl like me doesn't give up. And social media has made it much too easy to enter to win cameras, bags, cooking supplies, clothes and more, even though it hasn't made it any easier to win.

Regardless, I thought I would be nice (and maybe by being nice karma will join my side) and compile a list of all my current favorite giveaways for you. Good Luck!

1. Canon 5D MK II


I don't know how I found this site, but I have been entering for quite a few months now. At first glance, it's almost too good to be true (but it's legit, I promise), but almost every month Scott Bourne and Photo Focus give away a camera. In fact, this is his 5th or 6th this year...and no, I haven't won yet. But, I will keep trying. Even though I vow to one day buy one; I would much rather win one.

2. Le Creuset Panini Press Set


You might not know this about me, but one of my many life-long goals is to own a sandwich maker. I almost got up at 4 a.m. last Black Friday to pick up a $7 sandwich maker at Target. And I would have if Mark hadn't forced me to sleep instead.

This panini maker is not only fabulous because it is almost as good as a sandwhich maker, but it also is the most gorgeous color. In fact, if you're coming to my wedding and are looking for a present, it might be a good idea to enter. Now, it might technically be re-gifting, but I wouldn't care. Just an idea? :)

3.   Kalorik Red Food Processor 


When Mark and I started registering for our wedding, my mom had two pieces of advice. Register for a Kitchen Aid Mixer and register for a food processor. To be truthful, Mark didn't even really know what a food processor was, but I know how valuable these little suckers are, so of course it made our list. I think this will be perfect in my future kitchen. And, I also am glad I found Two of a Kind Working on A Full House...looks like a great blog!

4. TOMS Shoes

I haven't entered this one yet (I didn't want to overload my Twitter followers!), but I am definitely going to. I really want a pair of TOMS Shoes and I think this would be a great way to finally step up and buy them. If you don't know about TOMS, take my word they are a great company to support. The founder, Blake Mycoskie, had this extremely generous idea in 2006 and it has flourished into such a successful company. For every pair of shoes purchased, a pair is donated. One for one. So simple, so easy, but so important. Even if you refuse to enter any contests, check out TOMS...it's a conscious, responsible company that is helping make our world a better place.

5. Feed Sack Bag

 I couldn't write a blog about giveaways without giving a shout out to my friend, Crystal.Cattle, who is giving away a Feed Sack Bag from The House That Ag Built. After all, it was because of her blog that I have a gorgeous feed sack bag hanging on the chair behind me (and of course, my fiance who gave it to me for my birthday!). I have decided there is no better way to get a conversation about agriculture going that proudly displaying it and these bags are a cute, convenient way to be ag proud.

Alright folks that is a wrap! If you have any good giveaways to share, make sure you leave a comment!  Hope you win something...and I hope I win something more! ;)

Holy Cows

Out cattle are definitely Catholic. 

Tonight, as I was doing some stuff around the house, I heard the radio blaring in the barn.

And no, it wasn't T. Swift or Adele or Rihanna.

It was the Rosary and Sunday Mass.

And when I checked on the steers in the cooler, I swear they were chanting the Hail Mary.

Kidding. But, jokes aside, I love that every Sunday our cows listen the to Rosary.

I think it's a pretty good tradition that we have going.  I might not have made it to Church today, but I definitely got a little bit of God in my day.

Faith, family and farming; definitely three values everyone should have.

My Promise To You

It's a big one, get excited.

A few months back, Mark told me my blog needed a facelift. I told him he was nuts. Compared to some, I thought it was easy to read, was color cordinated and organized. What more did I need?

Fast forward to today and I completely agree.

Cows, Corn & Country Girls needs an update. I need new colors, a new header and a new layout. I need to freshen things up. I have embraced the sunflowers and earthy colors for over a year and some 100 blog posts (can you believe it?) and while it has served me well, I need a change.

So prepare yourself. By July 1 (remember, I like to set deadlines) Cows, Corn & Country Girls will have a brand new, better than ever, your gonna love it look.

Are you excited? If you have any suggestions, feel free to share. I like advice and I might need it!

And really, are you wondering if I have time for this? Yeah, I am wondering too. But I will get it done...somehow. :)

The Secret To Life Is That Simple

It's Friday and you shouldn't need a pick me up, but just in case you do, I thought I would share mine.

I found this the other day on Pinterest (which is taking over my life) and it honestly makes me feel instantly better. Why? Because really the secret to life is this simple.

So here's to Friday, the weekend, a productive month, a perfect summer and a happy life. 

Thanks for being such good readers, good friends and honestly plain good people.

Take Me Home Country Road

There is something about living on a country gravel road that I love.

Now don’t get me wrong, it has its downsides.You car rarely stays clean. A heavy rain makes it nearly impossible to drive and in the summer it can get pretty dusty. Oh and rollerblading…don’t even try it.

But, for each bad, there are an awful lot of goods.

First of all, there is privacy. I can run out and get the mail in my underwear if I want (I don’t…but I could.) If I need something out of my car at midnight, I just take a mad dash in whatever I currently have on and no one knows but Sam (my dog). Well, and probably my parents, but they don’t care.

Second, it’s quiet. I am getting in the habit of taking a walk every night with Sam. I just grab my weights, turn on my iPod and take a speedy stroll right down the center of 270^th. I love it. And on my walk, I get to see how the calves are doing and monitor how fast the corn is growing (which by the way is doing pretty good.) Oh, and I can pump my weights and know that no one can see me looking like a fool, except of course my Uncle Charlie who is in the fields and doesn’t care.

And finally, it’s extremely useful when moving animals. When we want to bring a cow from my Uncle’s pasture to our house, we just put on a halter and walk her up the road with her calf diligently following behind her. When we need to wash the pigs, we just drive them up the hill to our place…and when we get a steer too fat, we run him down the gravel to loose some weight.

You think, I am joking on that last one, but I am not. When I was younger, I had a Hereford steer that was too heavy and every night after we got done in the cooler, I would have to take a run with him down the road. Good thing I was in shape back then huh?

So what’s with this random post about my love of country roads? Well, Mark is moving into a town home this week and I am starting to get a little sentimental. Goodbye workouts down the gravel, goodbye walks with Sam, goodbye getting my mail in my underwear (I never did that though).
And the worst part is I am never getting it back. First, I will make the move to an apartment in November and then I will move to Mark’s parents house who knows when, which is conveniently located on…a busy paved road.

Part of growing up a country kid is the "country" atmosphere and I am definitely going to miss the dirt road I grew up on.

But, to look at the positives…I have until November and I have always wanted to learn how to rollerblade.

I Would Like Some Customer Service With That

I think you could say I got "wowwed" the other day.

Remember that blog I wrote about the Blue Door Boutique? You know the cute little shop in Georgia that thankfully is online so I can lust over it everyday? You know the one that has this dress that I feel like I have to have?

 

Well, after I wrote that blog, I got a note from Kimberly (the model of the gorgeous green dress!), thanking me for the kind words and asking me for my address. She wanted to send me a little birthday "happy" from the Blue Door!

Now, I am not even quite sure how she found my blog, but somehow she did and immediately went above and beyond the call of duty to make me feel extremely important. Sure, I am thinking Miss Kimberly must be an extremely nice person to start with, but there's no denying it was extremely good service as well.

Now, if you weren't quite sure what was the value of social media was yet, here is your lesson.

I found out about Blue Door from a blog, I then wrote about it in my blog, which some 100 people read. That alone could have been good enough because 100 more people knew about there store, but realistically who knows if I ever would have bought anything myself (I do have some self-control). But, then Kimberly found my blog (I am sure through some online social media tool) and wrote a simple note and just like that she created a customer for life.

Not only have I checked the website everyday, BUT, I have also checked my mail for the past two weeks straight. 

Last Friday, I got my birthday "happy" --- the nicest note and a gorgeous set of gold earrings that I think will go nice with this dress. :)

So, there are two points to this post. One, good customer service is simple but it goes a LONG way. Two, go check out the Blue Door; you are going to love it. And if you hurry, you still have time to send a belated birthday gift my way. JK :)

I think I will just buy myself a little "happy".

A Birthday Wish List

My family has been good enough to remind me this week that once you turn 23, birthdays aren't a big deal.

I disagree. Birthdays are always a big deal.

So in honor of the big day...which is tomorrow...here's the wish list I promised!

1. A Feed Sack Bag

Ever since Miss Crystal Young shared these gorgeous bags on her blog, I have been in love. Luckily Mark knows about my obsession and reads Crystal's blog and hopefully, he's been picking up my not so subtle hints.

2.  New Pair of Sperrys

 

I love boat shoes. I currently have about 3 pairs, but two are soo worn out and one is a work pair. I need some new ones and I am thinking I maybe should add a little color to my life. What do you think? Do you like? I think they might be a birthday present to myself. And, I just noticed 10% off this week only because it's boating safety week! Can you say perfect?!

3. This Necklace  

I shouldn't even have to explain. It's gorgeous.

4. Crest White Strips

No joke. I really really really want some, but I am too cheap to spend the 35 bucks.

5.  A BIG Camera Card

I have been rolling on a 256 MG camera card for the last 4 years. I actually think I bought it before GB cards were made. Regardless, it's too small and I need an upgrade fast. I am sick of only being able to hold 20 pictures on my camera; some nights just require more than that.

6. Vera Bradley Bag

I have always wanted this bag. I still want this bag. And I am probably going to continue to want this bag for a while. I think this would be the ultimate travel bag. It would look great in the goose of a cattle trailer and on the airplane. That is important to me.

Now, I could probably continue on, but 1. I don't want to be selfish (there are so many other people out there that need a lot more right now; my prayers go out to everyone impacted by the terrible weather) and 2. I realistically know that none of them are likely. In order to get the gifts on your birthday, you should share your birthday list a little bit before the day before...but hey, Christmas isn't that far away right?

Have a great Friday and a great holiday weekend!

20.5

“I just knew I wanted it to be big.”

Well Kris Humphries you got it.

Wonder what the heck I am talking about? Well Kim Kardashian got engaged last week and if you haven’t heard yet she got a 20.5 carat ring.

WHAT?

WHAT?!?

I just can’t get my head around that. When you get a ring that big, you can stop wearing other jewelry altogether. None of it will matter; all anybody will do is look at your left hand.

And goodness that thing has to be heavy. I am not telling you how big my ring is (it’s not NEARLY as big as Kim’s) but I find it to be a little overwhelming somedays. Now multiple that shine and that weight by LOTS and you have Kim Kardashian’s left hand.

Photo via People Magazine

Now, right now, my simple self is saying, "that poor girl!" I am sure though she is thinking otherwise. Kardashians don’t do anything small (trust me…I used to be addicted to their show!).

All in all, lucky girl, you know Kim is going to rock it.  But still OMG...20.5 carat. That’s hard for me even to fathom…it’s almost the size of a legit rock I would pick from the field.
Okay, exaggeration. But it’s darn big.

So here is to Kim & Kris. Hopefully the wedding is as over the top as the ring..

A Wordless Wednesday Mystery

We may have had a furry visitor.

Mamma May and I were picking up sticks last week in our trees and found these.

I am no detective, but I do know that that isn't no cow, pig, cat or dog print and that's usually all we have running around our place. 

Whatever this mystery creature was, it was also pretty heavy. Meaning it's no coyote or raccoon.

 

So, this is when I go all Inspector Gadget on you.

Here are our clues:

1. Whatever it was, it was heavier than me. I wasn't making prints that deep walking around the next day.

2. The paw print was bigger than my hand.

3. It had some serious claws.
4. It looked like it could have crawled up a tree.
5. My parents woke up early Saturday morning to our cows just freaking it out. They were running back and forth in the pasture and my Dad could not get them to calm down and he had no clue why.
6. There has been a bear spotted in our area lately.

Guess, I probably should have told you the last one first?!



Maybe Mark is right and maybe I have a wild imagination, but I am pretty darn sure it was a bear.

But like I said, I am no detective and I am definitely no bear expert. What do you think? Did we have a visit from the roaming mystery bear? Are we lucky it wasn't hungry and didn't eat one of our new baby calves?

Who really knows....I am just hoping it whatever it was, that it roamed itself right out of here.

Part 4: The Country Girl Wedding Registry

Just call me P-Dub.

Well, don't call me that yet; maybe after I get her cookbook, you can.

Since I haven't had much of a call for cooking yet in my life (thanks Momma May for feeding me every night), I haven't had a burning desire for a cookbook.

But trust me, come the day after the wedding, my future husband is going to be happy I have one.

So, when it comes to cookbooks, I am going to be picky and request one from the queen of country living herself, The Pioneer Woman.

Ree Drummond is an icon in the blogging farm wife world...well let's be honest, to the world in general. Her simple & sarcastic blog grew into a book tour, children's book, talk shows, romantic novel, potential movie and I even heard a rumor of a cooking show. She is pretty much a superstar.

Hopefully, if I get this and the Thermomix, I can whip up some Chicken Fried Steak just as good as hers. Heck, I even promise that if I get them both, I will invite all of you over for supper...twice.

Can you tell I am pretty confident the Thermomix is a far-off dream? :)

Happy Tuesday!

A Long Overdue Blog Post

Well hello friends...it's been a while.

My posting has been few and far between lately. I don't know what has been my deal. Regardless, our friendship is being tested and I solemnly swear that I am back and I am going to try my hardest to make it work.

Life has been crazy lately. And not so crazy at the same time. Either way I haven't been extremely productive lately. I don't know if it's been because of the gorgeous weather, the family stuff or the that fact that I found Etsy that I have been missing in action. Most likely it was all 3.

So here is my muy rapido catch-up post.

I am at my favorite place eating right now, trying to get into a productive Monday mode. (It's not working.) I had a fantastic weekend. Avery May was over twice. I got to get a little wild with my good old Randolph girls. Mark and I are getting serious about an apartment (which is good because he is supposed to be moved out on June 1) and we had some legit relax time together.

AND how could I forget...it's my BIRTHDAY week. On Saturday, I will be one year older and one year wiser. Exciting?

All in all, life has been good...but it hasn't been productive. I am failing at the May 3 in 30, my wedding list is getting longer and I have a lot to do this week at work. I have yet to buy a car, but I am hoping to make it a birthday present to myself  and I have not finished my wedding website yet.

But friends, this is life isn't it? It isn't always glamorous, sometimes you just live a week the best you can. 

BTW, "Fancy Pants" is no longer available at Noodles & Co and the stroganaff is not as good. Sad day.

So things to look forward to this week for you from me: 1. A blog about some excellent customer service 2. A Wordless Wednesday Mystery 3. A birthday present wish list 4. A Weekly Wedding Update and finally 5. A Country Girl's Wedding Registry Update.

Get excited people.  :) Happy Monday!

Weekly Wedding Update: Real Or Fake?

Remember last week, when I hated wedding planning?

Well, I have done a 180. Thanks to a trip to Micheal's and the rediscovery of Etsy.

Who knew that it's super easy to find "vintage chic" decorations? I literally feel on top of the wedding planning world. I want to get married tomorrow and then the next weekend and the next because I think it's going to be so gorgeous that it could be on repeat again and again.

Anyway, more about that another day. (However, if you don't know about Etsy...don't wait, check it out today.)

Today, I have a serious question for all of you. Should I do real or fake flowers?

My mom and Mark's mom say real. I say fake.



Here's my logic:

1. I want really expensive real flowers that supposedly are pretty fragile. If they're fake, they all of sudden become durable.
2. I would have something at the end of the night. With real flowers, I throw them away...$200 down the drain in some way. With fake, I could have them forever. 
3. I know exactly what they look like. Florists make me nervous. They have this vision in their head, but it's almost impossible to show that to me...until 11 a.m. on my wedding day and if I hate them, I hate them.
4. Plus, how can you not love that bouquet? It's perfect in every way.

So, please voice your opinion. What do you think? Can I get away with it? Or am I crazy? Are you an Etsy shopper too and have some suggestions for me? I would love to hear from you!

And by the way, I am sorry I have not been replying back to comments. My Blogger won't let me comment anymore!? Does anyone know how to fix this? But truly, I love every comment I get it...it makes my day!

Wordless Wednesday: FFA Family

Lately, little brother Jason has been the star of the show.

Between baseball (ranked 4th in state), plays, prom, cattle shows, livestock judging, picking a college and an upcoming graduation...the list could go on and on and on. The point is he is basically our own personal celebrity and...Ann May is his paparazzi running around capturing every moment.

Until Monday that is, when Grandma swept in and stole the show. Gma Niebur has left quite a legacy in the little town of Randolph (and in my life.) You see, she and grandpa had TEN kids. All ten kids went to Randolph. Then all of those 10 kids had kids and most of those grandchildren when to Randolph. She's been a staple at every baseball game, prom, play, grandparent's day, band concert, graduation and FFA banquet at Randolph for many, many years.

Jason is the end of her Randolph dominance (of course, she's lucky and has some great-grandkids roaring and ready to plague the hallways with our usual ruckus, but it will be a little while). So, in honor of her years of dedication and the end of an era, Grandma (Grandma Dixie as most call her) got a pretty big honor at the latest Randolph FFA Banquet--she was given her Honorary Chapter Degree. We're pretty proud of her...and she was pretty mad no one warned her! :)

Just in our family, Grandma has three FFA presidents and one vice president (I know I was a slacker!), probably bought thousands of dollars in fruit, donated hundreds of bushels of corn and listened to Ed Terry ramble off all those chapter degrees way too many times. In my opinion, that last one alone makes her deserving of a honorary degree!

It's amazing how important grandparents are in your life and my grandma is pretty darn special. She's sometimes ornery, she speaks her mind, she's the greatest euchre player around and she is the most honest and caring person I have ever known. I haven't met a single person who doesn't love her and I want to grow up to be her.

By the way, good job little brother on being the Chapter Star Farmer. I guess there is a reason you're the star lately?

And yes, I know it's supposed to be a "wordless" Wednesday, but I couldn't help it. It needed some words...even thought I am sure our good-looking selves could have been good enough!

Girls Night!

Wahoo!

I am up in Fargo getting ready to run some errands to get me ready for a bachelorette party for the beautiful Lindsay Waugh! So excited to be back together again... :)

It's a gorgeous day, can't wait for it to begin.

If you don't remember my country girls, they are the ones I was sobbing about missing some 365 days agao, they were all graduating and leaving me in Fargo. Now we are all grown up and getting married!?!





Have a great weekend! Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Weekly Wedding Update: 6 Months Away

6 months.

6 months? 6 months? 6 months?

6 months until we get married.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Breathe. We are going to be fine. Relax.

Practice those words and tell me when I start hyperventilating in five minutes.

I am not rewriting the list, because nothing has changed. Except I am not doing Save the Dates (so make a mental note and save the date that is 6 months from now!), I am hopefully getting a video done and I have some things figured out about desserts.

Now, please understand I am not in panic mode because I am nervous about marrying Mark. Marrying Mark doesn't make me one bit nervous, it's the planning that does. I can't wait to marry Mark and I am pretty sure he can't wait to marry me (or least that is what he tells me). I can't wait to go home everyday & see him, I am so looking forward to cooking supper for two with him and folding laundry while we watch TV and I am not even really hating the idea of changing my last name.

As he reminded me this morning, when I sent him an email to remind him that we were getting married in 6 months from the day, I am pretty darn lucky.

I have always told me friends don't be in a relationship that you aren't proud to share. Meaning, do you have a story that one day you will want to pull out the photo album and tell you grandchildren about? I do and that is what makes me so lucky.

Sure, no doubt we have had our share of ups and downs. We have moments we would do anything to take back, we have words that we wish had never been spoken and we have memories that make us cringe. There are some people, some things, some ideas that are much better left behind; but for every bad there are 100 goods.

I found guy that is annoyingly more passionate about cattle than I, who wouldn't mind watching a reasons tape for a date, who doesn't mind that I am a personal space heater, who thinks my cons are really pros and who is going to make me laugh everyday for the rest of my life (or annoy the heck out of me...the jokes might stop being funny some day?!?).

Point of the matter is, I have seven years of photo albums to show my grandkids one day. And, it's all going to start with..."See here in this picture, this is when I beat your grandpa in the Maine Anjou steer class...your grandma was always better at showing cattle then him...it was love at first sight."

Just kidding, kind of. :)

These next 6 months could go really slow so I could somehow get everything done or they could absolutely fly by. I don't really care, one way another I have my happy ending! Hope you get yours too! Have a great weekend!

3 in 30 | May

Happy May! 

You might not know this, but May is my month! It's when good things tend to happen in my life - it's my birthday month, my last name month and hopefully finally when spring comes. I am definitely looking forward to productivity, fun and sunshine. And with May, comes another 3 in 30.

Goal 1: Buy a car. 

I can't put it off any longer. The Alero needs to go. Thanks for all of your comments on my recent blog about car shopping; they all were so helpful! I am actually now leaning towards a Camry, everyone had good reviews. I am hoping that by June 1 I am a new (or newer than what I have) car owner, regardless of how stressful it is.

Goal 2: Exercise everyday.
I like my gym, but this month I am expanding my limits and goals. I want to exercise everyday, but it doesn't have to be in the gym or watching a video, it can be a walk during lunch, a bike ride at night or an ab workout before bed, but regardless, I need to do some physical activity everyday. Summer is coming, I need to not only get in shape...but get outside and enjoy some sun!

Goal 3: Stop drinking pop.
Oofta, that was hard to type. Mountain Dew, our relationship is over. No pop all month. Hopefully, if I can kick it for a month, I can kick it forever. Water, juice, tea, milk, coffee, beer...there is a lot of things to replace pop with right? (Note: I am not counting drinks as pop, that just has to happen sometimes!)

Just in case you were wondering, my April 3 in 30 was pretty close to a success story. If I had to grade it, I would give it a solid B, which means I definitely have room for improvement.

Goal 1: Snap Fitness 3X/week.
Well, I didn't regularly make a 3 a week. But at least once or twice. And, I am making it to my mission to make it 5 days this week, a good start in May will help balance out bad days near the end.

Goal 2: Make a Kate Ries bag.
Well, I realized I am no Kate Ries, but I did manage to complete one bag. It's not perfect, but it is a good start. I have two more to make and at least now I know what not to do. Next bag, I will take some pictures and show you how to get a little creative yourself!

Goal 3: Attack my wedding list.
This is where I get my first F of my life. May has to be better or simply you all aren't gonna be happy come November 5. I did make a list though, so hopefully that will help and this week I have two appointments set up. It's a start.

Could You Live Without FB?

I have told you this before and I will say it again. I really like infographics.

They are catchy, easy to read and usually have a pretty astounding point to show. I read this one today in the PR Daily Newsletter and I thought you might like to know what your world would be like without Facebook.

Sure, you might be an anti-Facebooker who doesn't have time, thinks it's stupid or just strongly believes it's ruining the world; but more than likely, your like me. It's part of your life. It is how you find information, know what your friends are doing and how you stay in touch. In my world,  Facebook/Twitter/ect. are the norm. I don't think it makes my generation "anti-social," instead, I believe it's our way to gather information, just like watching the 9 o'clock news might be yours.

So if your like me, ask yourself, what would your life be like with Facebook?

[Via: Single Grain]

Weekly Wedding Update

Someone once told me that wedding plan was going to be much fun. And I replied, doubtful.

Wedding planning is not for me. Thank goodness I have my mom and sister. Cathy made me wait for months to announce that I could be her maid of honor...and I was planning on her long before I even got a ring. Why? Well Cathy waited so long to ask because she knew I would be a terrible assistant and I so intently chose her because I knew she would be an excellent helper.

Anyway, now that I completed that long and windy rant, to the point. A Classy Southern Wife once had a Wedding Wednesday...and I think I am going to copy her in attempt to get better at this wedding planning thing. But mine will be a Weekly Wedding Update (I am not good at posting on specific days)!

I have approximately 28 weeks (I couldn't waste my time actually counting) to whittle this extremely list down to nothing and probably add so much more it seems impossible and then whittle it down again. Until...it's completely gone and I get to start a list of post-wedding to do lists.

Have I ever told you I really enjoy to-do-lists? Crossing things off are always more fun that actually doing them. So drumroll please...the list.

• Get a florist.
• Decide on flowers.
• Get a bakery.
• Decide on what kind of desserts.
• Pick out wedding music.
• Finalize wedding ceremony.
• Get a bus to transport wedding party.
• Find locations for pictures.
• Decide if I am doing Save The Dates and order them.
• Call the Cannon Winery about rehearsal dinners.
• Ask my personal attendants.
• Order a veil.
• Find Avery May a flower girl dress.
• Finish our wedding website.
• Decide on food for wedding.
• Finalize alcohol, drinks, ect.
• Order wine from Mark Nordstrom.
• Decide on & order invitations.
• Get all my addresses together.
• Pick out music for ceremony.
• Find purple shoes.
• Pick out attendants gifts.
• Make a decision on guest book/photos.
• Book hotel room for wedding night.
• Finish wedding registry at Macy's & Target.
• Schedule and go to wedding retreat.
• Meet with Father Stan to finalize details.
• Decide reception decor.
• Find hairstylist.
• Decide on wedding hair.
• Get dress fitted.

AHHHHH! It's so long it makes me feel like I have nothing done, but I swear I do!

Nonetheless, I clearly have some work to do. This week it starts with a florist, save-the-dates and a cake; slowly but surely I will get this done.