28 November 2008

Black Friday!


Every year I pride myself on the fact that I am not one to get sucked into the whole Black Friday Hulabaloo. And EVERY year I get sucked in!! I am not going to lie, it is so fun :) At about 10 this morning, my mom had called early to let Adam and I know that she and my dad were going out to Sam's to buy his Starbucks Coffee and to meet my sister at Mid Rivers Mall. Well, I have been wanting to go to Hobby Lobby for about 2 weeks now so Adam and I decided to tag along. After one store with the men, we sent them home and Nicole, my mom, and I were official Black Friday shoppers. Searching for deals, whipping out coupons left and right, it was fast and furious! I scored soooooo many good deals. I got tons of cute new holiday tops from the L-Bizzle, tons of new fun felt and a Glittery Scrapbook from Hobby Lobby, the cutest scarf and reusable tote from Gap, and those are just my most favorite purchases. We got so much for soooo not much money. Nicole got the cutest hounds-tooth coat from Lerner. (I seriously need to charge the battery on my camera because that coat deserves a spotlight on the blog...GORGEOUS!!
After all of the shopping, Adam and I put together his book shelf that I got him for his birthday...fun times :) We also did a lot of cleaning and eating and are now retired to the living room to watch movies in front of the CHRISTMAS TREE and fire.
What a great day :)

27 November 2008

Sooooo thankful!

I could literally write for hours upon hours of all of things that I am thankful for :)
Happy Thanksgiving Friends :)

25 November 2008

23 hours...

until I get to see this guy :)

Yay!! I can not wait :)
I don't have too much to write about today. It was a good day. E days are always good days for me. Lately, I have been starting my days (well, twice a week) at Bread Company with my friend, Mandi, and it is awesome. What a great way to start the day. Way better than rushing out the door with my Apple Cinammon Fiber One Bar. My new favorite is the Gingerbread bagel with hazelnut cream cheese (bread sliced). delicous!
OK, that is it for tonight....
I am off to wait for Elsie's Etsy update!! Can not wait!
xoxo

24 November 2008

Crafty Love!

I am taking this online class through the gorgeously awesomeElsie Flannigan.

I absolutely adore her work and her as a person as well. We have been doing the coolest projects!! I feel like I am finally super inspired to create things! I mean I create things a lot already but she just inspires to me to do more and really express my self through my work. I have also met some really cool people through this class who have also created some really cool things. Love it. I definitely think that you should check out:
This blog
This blog
and
This blog
Here are some of the cutie projects that we have done so far (all pics are from Elsie's Flikr)




While you are at it, check out Elsie's Etsy shop here. Super cool things that are super affordable!!
She is actually doing an update tomorrow night...so excited! I will definitely be purchasing. It is actually ridiculous how fast her things sell as she is updating :) So cool!
Well, I am insprired so
Handmade gifts for everyone!!!
Yay!
xoxo

23 November 2008

God is good

all the time!
Today was the first Sunday that I have been able to make it to church in 3 weeks. That is 3 weeks way too long!! Being there today was so refreshing and clensing and I can't say enough about it. I am so THANKFUL to belong to such an amazing church family. I am so THANKFUL for God's word and the chance to study it. I am so THANKFUL for Christ, the best gift ever and I am so THANKFUL for the Holy Spirit. I am also soooooo THANKFUL that I get to share this experience with my family :) LOVE!
I love it!
I love HIM!
and He loves me :)
and YOU too!
I will be back later to post about my Bridal Shower that was 3 weeks ago :)

22 November 2008

I can't wait

So, now that I am in the blogging spirit, I can not possibly wait to post the engagement sneak peak that Jodie posted on her blog :) Here are the ones that I have seen so far, I can't wait to see the rest!!!











ummmm...seriously, could we be any cuter :) ?
I don't think so!
love love love
janel

Blogging


Dear Janel-
Become a better blogger. You LOVED it. You LOVE the people you have met while blogging and those you have yet to meet. I know you miss your old blog but this one is just the same and will be just as cool!!
Love,
Janel

Ok, I am going to try and do the 30 posts in 30 days challenge. I have so many fun things that I have done since my last post so I will have those fun things to share. Like oh I don't know...engagement pictures :) Oh yes, the lovely, fabulous, super cool, and super talented Jodie, did Adam and I's engagement pics last weekend downtown. LOVED IT!!!! (in a sing-song voice). Can't wait to post them. Also, I went to the Dana-Thomas Frank Lloyd Wright House in Springfield Illinois and the Lincoln Museum....wicked fun!Not to mention, I will get to have Adam with me for like 4 whole days this week!! Yay for Thanksgiving :)Wow, I am so in the blogging spirit already. Im back! For real this time :)

Also, here is a cool thing that we can all do this season when making out our Christmas cards:

When doing your Christmas cards this year, take one card and send it to this address. If we pass this on and everyone sends one card, think of how many cards these wonderful, special people who have sacrificed so much, would get.
When you are making out your Christmas card list this year please include the following:

A Recovering American soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington D.C. 20307-5001

Let's do it :)

07 November 2008

Dear MacLeans,

This blog goes out to my wonderful soon to be's: Kate, Rick, Cindy, Faith, and Rachel.

COME OVER!!

I miss you guys like crazy :(



Love Your Soon to Be,
Janel

06 November 2008

Prayers...

Hello loves,
Please say a prayer for my grandma, who is not doing so well. She is amazing, beautiful, funny, cutie, and totally one of my BFFs. When we were neighbors (up until last November) she and I went to dinner together almost every night and we had our weekly shopping trip to Target every Sunday after church. She rocks my world and I love her so much. I know that no matter what happens, no doctor can give or take away days...it's up to God and I am so fortunate to know that His will is what needs to be done and what will be done. I love you Eddie :) Please pray friends. Thank you!


My sweet Adam drove out to St. Louis to be with me as soon as he heard she went into to the hospital. Could I have a better love? He not only wanted to be here for me, but for my family, and grandma as well.
Don't get me wrong, my grandma is a FIGHTER. She bounces back like nobodies business :) Have a great Thursday night. I am soooooooo ready for the weekend.
By the way, Yay Obama!!!

(This picture is of Obama shaking MY hand. I promise :) We were so smooshed by the crowd that my sister could only get him in the shot, and he was way more important then me:)

You can totally see Nicole (my sister) and I right behind Obama in this news clip. We were all over channel 2,4,5,CNN...we are kind of a big deal :)

04 November 2008

Today I voted for...

Vote!


Today is the Election Day! I am so excited! Please go out and vote today! I don't care who you vote for, just vote!! It is such a privilage, that many people don't have.
Vote Vote Vote!!! I am getting ready to leave now and go to my poll!
Tonight, history will be made.
How cool is that?
We will either have the first African American President
or
the first female Vice-president!
How cool?
LOVE IT!
**Thank you to Jodie for this awesome Vote graphic :) If you would like this graphic for your blog, check out how to get one HERE!

03 November 2008

I miss you

After what seems like forever, I am back from the blogging blues.  Ever since our last blog got hacked, I haven't been in the mood to blog.  Well, today I am out of my funk :)  I am feeling inspired. This weekend was AWESOME!  This weekend was our very first Bridal Shower.  Now when I say bridal shower, it was so much more than just a bridal shower.  It was beautiful, and fun and I was so overwhelmed by every one's kindness and generosity....Unreal. I wrote all of my thank you notes last night as soon as I got home because I was so overwhelmed with thankfulness.  I don't have any pics to post at the moment because my camera was dead, but I will definitely post some.  Unfortunately, Adam wasn't able to make it into town for the shower so I have promised him that I wouldn't get into any of our gifts, or put them away. He was understanding enough to let me put our new bedding on my bed before he gets here. I was super excited about that.
I am also waiting to put my Christmas tree up for when he gets here. Now this is a tad embarrassing but I usually put my tree up on November 1. I know, I am a dork but I can't help it. (I did all of my Christmas cards tonight). This year I will have to wait until I see Adam again on the 15th. Crazy!
Do you want to know another reason that I am sooooooooo soooooooo sooooooo excited about that weekend? Adam and I are getting our engagement pics taken by the amazing Jodie!! I can not wait! Her plans and ideas for the shoot are so cool and unique, it's all I can think about!!
So, my agenda for tonight:
1. Finish cleaning my house.
2. Finish laundry
3. Watch The Hills
4. Make my bed with our NEW bedding (I love it) I also guarantee that I will be at Home Depot at some point this week, picking up paint and re-painting my room too.
5. Getting to sleep early so that I can wake up early to go and vote. I can not wait!! It's like Christmas for me. The excitement has been building up so much for tomorrow and I just can't wait to go and make my mark on history with my vote. I read the cutest blog post this morning here from a Canadian woman and her perspective on our voting. Check it out HERE!
I am not one to hide who I am voting for, afraid to start conflict or anything. I hope that people would still like me, for me, even if I am not voting for who they are voting for. I would never judge someone else for their opinions. So, tomorrow I will be going to the polls and Barack-ing my vote. If I was blogging a few weeks ago I would have posted that I got to meet Mr. Obama at the STL rally at the arch, wicked sweet if you ask me!
I will post pics and a synopsis of that whole adventure at another time. Now, I need to start ticking those to-do's off of my list up there. Happy almost November 4th election day!!! I love you blogging friends. IT feels so good to be back, so good!