More Than One Song?

While at the gym last night, I heard Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, and it instantly made me think of my wedding. My husband and I danced the very last dance of the night to this song, with a few close friends who were still around. It was so nice. My husband and I have so many songs that we consider to be "our songs", I hear one almost every day. I love it. In addition to our first dance (A Little Trip to Heaven by Tom Waits), we also have memories to go along with Hey Jude by The Beatles, When You Say Nothing At All by Allison Krauss, and Anything You Want by Roy Orbison. Do you and your guy have one than one song?

{images via Google}

A Grey Day

I am feeling a bit under the weather. (I actually fell down our front steps on some ice and feel a bit beat up!) I just thought I would stop in with a few teaser pictures. The first one is from the Brooklyn Bride card exchange. Our cards were a complete team effort: Sewing by Lupe, words by Lucky Husband, and I just used the tape gun!And the second is from the our family card for 2008. "See" you tomorrow.

{Guest Blogger}: Lucky Husband - The Honeymoon - Part 2

Ok, where were we? Oh, right....Fleeing a garage in Maine, with no place to stay, knowing almost nothing about the place we were in! So what happened next?

Well, having driven through a major chunk of Portland (much more than we wanted to) due to the terrible directions we got from the airport to the garage by the owner and proprietor of the garage (the garagekeeper?), we were able to decide pretty quickly that Portland wasn't really what we were talking about. So we decided to drive north along the coast, and get our peeps back at home working for us, trying to find the ideal place to stay. A couple of phone calls to my dad and Erin's mom got the wheels in motion. Since my dad fancies himself an amateur travel agent, and was free at the time, he took the lead. Within a half hour or so, he had come up with several excellent options. That's right, Erin and I researched locales for several months and came up with a garage, and my dad works on it for a half hour and books us two different, excellent places to stay, in two different, much better locations!

Our decision, which seemed like what we obviously should have planned to from the start was to break up the week and stay in a couple different places. We decided to start in Bar Harbor, and within about five or six hours, we had enjoyed a lovely, if a little stressful, drive up the scenic Maine coast, checked into by far the nicest Holiday Inn I've ever seen (and I've seen my share) with a gorgeous harbor view, and had a very satisfying, and calming lobster dinner in the upstairs of a restaurant with an overlooking view of the Bar Harbor main drag. Well, I had lobster, anyway. I'm not sure what Erin had for dinner, but her dessert, blueberry cobbler kicked off a weeklong blueberry feeding frenzy for her. They do know how to grow 'em up there.

The next five days or so were a fun-filled blur, as we kept ourselves busy enjoying the town at the very tail end of it's tourist season. The town was alive and kicking when we got there, and we watched it slowly shut down throughout our stay. Rosalie's Pizza, a lighthouse boat tour, live music at the Thirsty Whale, drives and hikes through Acadia National Park, and for some random reason, a major pinball kick were the highlights, as well as lots of seafood and blueberries. We love Bar Harbor!
Next we headed south, and located ourselves outside of Rockport, a tiny town (we might have missed the town, actually) between the charming burgs of Rockland and Camden. My dad found us a nice little motel right on the coast, and we spent our time much more lazily at the back end of the trip. We did have an excursion into a neighboring inland town whose name eludes me, for a raucous night of candlepin bowling - a small ball, fifteen pins, three chances to knock them all down - I can't tell you how much I wish that would spread to the Midwest! We spent a day shopping and dining in both Rockland and Camden - both really cool little towns, but they were close to a state of hibernation by the time we got to them. That was ok though, we had had enough excitement by that point.
Another scenic drive back down the coast, and we were on an airplane home, a happy, exhausted newlywed couple. The honeymoon which had started as a disaster had turned into a wonderful adventure in what is now one of our favorite places! Big props to Jerry, my dad, for helping make it happen!

{Thank you babe for your hilarious retelling of our honeymoon. I can't wait to share this story with Lucky Baby! I love you.}

{Guest Blogger}: Lucky Husband - The Honeymoon

A story about our honeymoon from Lucky Husband...

A couple weeks ago was the anniversary of our honeymoon. Each day, as the week went by, I tried to remember what we were doing that day two years ago. Throughout the week, I kept saying things to Erin like, "You can't be mad at me today - It's the anniversary of eating Rosalie's Pizza", or if she was feeling flustered and exhausted I would throw in, "At this time two years ago, we were eating lobster and blueberry cobbler in Bangor." She has such fond memories of that week, that it usually helped change her mood pretty quickly.

As wonderful as it ended up, it started out looking pretty grim. Our first day was definitely one of those "some day we'll look back on this and laugh" type days. And at this point, we do, but at the time, it was definitely no laughing matter.

We chose Maine as our destination, wanting a place where we could really soak up the autumn colors. We found what seemed like the perfect place to stay in on the internet, and booked it enthusiastically. It was described as a "carriage house" in Portland, right on the coast. For some reason, when we heard "carriage house" we thought "charming, rustic cottage, fixed up for guests", and not "house where you would store a carriage". I guess we were just hearing what we wanted to hear, because it fit into our budget a lot better than most of the other places we had looked at. At any rate, the lesson we learned is that the term "carriage house" apparently means "garage". Yep, as we followed our directions up the lane where we would spend some of our happiest days, we were directed down an alley between two large old houses, and found the address we were looking for posted on the garage of one of the two houses.

Trying to keep an open mind, we located the key and went in, hoping to be pleasantly surprised by something, anything. But no, it was a garage, from the cement floors to the rolling garage door we would be looking at while sipping coffee in our "dining room". The bathroom was appointed in the manner you would expect to find in a machine shop, but in fairness, it was handsomely decorated with a stunning array of license plates from around the country. As we went upstairs into the "bedroom", we found it decorated with the kind of rickety old furniture you either find in a ninety year old woman's apartment or a Goodwill truck. The bigger problem though, was the fact that the walls were solid windows for 360 degrees, and it was right on the level with the second floors of three houses which were within about ten feet on all sides - it was probably the least private room I had ever seen, definitely not ideal for a honeymoon.

It was at this point that I looked at Erin and saw the tears forming in her eyes, and knew I was going to have to talk our way out of our commitment. I generally try to avoid confrontation, and hate to complain or go back on a deal, but this was our honeymoon, and as Erin said, "I will not spend my honeymoon in a garage!" I swallowed hard and dialed the owner's number. In fairness, as I looked over the ad we had seen, I couldn't find anything I could actually describe as inaccurate, and there were a couple of pictures - he must have worked his butt off finding two frame that could make the place not look like a garage. But overall, I would say the ad came off as misleading, and the gentleman seemed to realize that; he didn't put up much of a fight in agreeing to give us our deposit back, he just kept asking what part of the ad we didn't understand. I got the distinct impression he had had the same conversation before with other "guests", and on the off chance he's reading this I will offer one piece of advice - put a picture of the garage door in the ad, and you will never have any more disappointed customers asking for their money back.

So that hurdle was behind us, but we were left with a bigger one ahead of us. We didn't have any place to stay. To Be Continued...

I Missed Out

I recently read about Rag and Bone's beautiful books on Thoughtful Day. I just love their anniversary journal! Not only is it a perfect keepsake to share with Lucky Baby, but it is black and white - which coordinates with our wedding colors. Sadly, it is sold out. Suggestions where I can find something similar?

October 14th

Please excuse this special blog post for my husband...
{2nd anniversary - cotton}

Happy anniversary my babe. Thank you for: cooking, cleaning the pots and pans, vacuuming, making the bed, washing my car, mowing the lawn, taking out the trash, and most of all being the best father and husband ever! I love you more than I can say.

{image source}

Stay tuned for a regular post (an autumn inspiration board).

Whirlwind Weekend

It was a whirlwind of a weekend! 2 birthdays (including my own), a graduation party, and of course lots of Lucky Design work. I am so LUCKY (of course) and spoiled by my friends and family. 29 does not seem so bad after all! Sunday, my husband cooked a fantastic meal of burgers and homemade fries. Lucky Baby gave him a Weber grill for his first Father's Day, and boy am I very happy about that! There is something about charcoal grills that really make a difference. If you are looking for a great gift for your husband-to-be, Mr. LD and I would highly recommend the Weber Gold 22.5" grill. I actually gave my husband a banjo as my wedding present to him. I knew that it had to be a musical instrument, and I wanted it to be unique. Are you going to give your husband-to-be a gift on your big day? If so, how did you decide what it would be?

{images by Lucky Brother}

Date Night

{image source}

I have always love to shop, but mainly when I am able to find a deal! I love finding a great sale, or being creative with my budget. It seems each and every day, daily expenses get higher and higher. Now that we are parents, my husband and I are trying to be more resourceful. My mom sent me this article last night (thanks Lupe). I think it was mainly selfish (because as a grandparent, she wants to babysit every single day), but she knows how much my husband and I love to have date night! #27 - Free museum day is probably my favorite. What is your favorite, budget-friendly, date night?

Don't forget to enter our "Nerdy" Giveaway!

Music to My Ears

I apologize for the late post - our power went out this morning! As you can probably tell from this blog, music is a big part of my life (and my husband's). This past Christmas, my husband gave me a cello! I have played a stringed instrument most of my life, and somehow had been without one for quite some time. I thought this was perfect inspiration for a wedding.

{Dress, Centerpiece, Favors - The Knot, Pearls, Laurence Kim Photography, Evoke Photography, Couple - Kenny Pang Photography, Cello - Lucky Designs}

Snail Mail

I have many keepsakes from my childhood, school days, and now from my relationship with my husband. We were friends for about ten years, until we finally realized that we were meant to be! Throughout those ten years, we were many miles apart. My husband, being the writer that he is, wrote me many letters - and I still have all of them! I cannot wait to share them with our daughter when she is old enough to appreciate them. I still to this day love receiving snail mail, and perhaps that is part of my motivation behind Lucky Designs. What are you favorite keepsake items from your guy? {image source}

{Guest Blogger} Lucky Husband

Attention Lucky Me readers: This is your hostess's husband, and I am highjacking this blog. Your regularly scheduled segment where my wife showcases the fine work of some other talented professional has been preempted so that I can instead showcase the fine work of my wife. As you all know my wife is wonderful at finding inspiration from every conceivable source and combining and arranging them in a way that marks them with her own style. That's great, but it's time someone used this space to talk about her talent.

It's funny...when we got together, she did not consider herself "creative" at all. She was a scientist, not an artist. Planning our wedding changed that rather quickly. For someone with no creativity or artistic nature, the vision that she executed for our wedding, from our invitations to decorations to venue choice, etc. was beautiful and consistent. From there, this business was born, and I think she continues to surprise herself all the time with her own talents.

Now she is constantly developing new creative talents and interest. I have been looking so forward to spring, because last year I had a ball going on long walks with her and her camera, as she searched out flowers to photograph. Some of the shots she got amazed me. And this was with a very limited digital camera, and no photo training (that I'm aware of). I love the way she tackles entirely new fields of endeavor, with absolutely no experience or training, teaches herself what she needs to know, and develops her own very unique style and methods. She never ceases to amaze me.

The latest talent that has emerged, and which I'm proud to say I have sparked and collaborated in, is flower arrangement. Since we moved into our new house, I decided that we should always have fresh cut flowers, so every couple weeks, when I go grocery shopping, I bring home a couple new kinds. What blows my mind every time is how she keeps what is still alive from the last batch, and blends it with what I have brought home. I started out trying to get flowers that looked good together and would match our home. Now I intentionally buy stuff that will challenge my wife's skills. Each time, she blows my mind.

Anyway, I plan to barge in on this blog more frequently in the future, whenever I feel that my wife has neglected her own work to showcase that of others for a bit too long. Other talents you can expect to learn about in the future include gourmet cooking, country and western singing, and others I'm sure I don't even know about yet. In the meantime, enjoy her photography and flower design!

Katie Girl

I wanted to share my husband's latest song, Katie Girl, and picture of our daughter. He has been working on writing a song for Lucky Baby for quite some time, but when I went past my due date, these lyrics seemed very appropriate. It debuted at #18 of 32,595 songs (in its category of Rock General). Below, please find the Soundclick player, and enjoy your listen.

A Valentine Tradition

My husband and I always seem to move just in time to send change of address cards that coordinate with Valentine's Day! We continued the tradition this year with postcards. The game Herby has come to be a favorite of ours on trips, so it seemed appropriate to incorporate that into the design. We are off to dinner and a movie tonight - one of our favorite date night combinations. What are your plans for the evening?

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Happy Birthday to My Husband!

I want to wish my husband HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Now that we have a finished basement, he is in hog heaven, and starting to set-up his studio. I am hoping this means I get to hear more songs, like Shiny Shoes! I also felt like he of course needed these for his b-day...


I think they might look better in Lucky Baby's room than the basement though - the white and black would go perfectly!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Heart Day!

I have to brag about my husband! I spent most of my evening yesterday trying to order a crib, but the website would not cooperate. I was very frustrated, so he went to the store and surprised me with beautiful tulips - one of my favorite flowers!

I also wanted to share this adorable cake. It seems perfect for a Valentine's Day themed wedding! As it gets closer to Valentine's Day, I will make sure to share the cards I will be sending in the Wedding Bee swap!

{Image via Bliss Weddings & Events}

In Good Company

My husband and I are still recovering from the move yesterday. It was a busy, productive day. We are very excited about our new home. I will be back posting tomorrow, but I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Weddings In a Box for including Lucky Me on their list of Best Wedding Blogs & Blogs We Love. We are honored to be among those on the list.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Over the weekend, and last night our house finally started to have some holiday spirit. To some it seems late to get started on the decorating. However, I grew up decorating our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve! I have also finally sent a few holiday cards. This year my husband and I sent postcards. It was time saving, paper saving, and economical! They were fun to design. My husband baked, from scratch, without a recipe, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. There is nothing better than warm, homemade cookies. We chose a little tree this year, since we are probably moving after the first of the year. We did, of course, get a stocking for Lucky Baby though!

Let It Snow!

I can't believe it - the weather forecast for tonight includes snow! I absolutely love it when it snows. I don't even mind driving in it all that much. I am going to leave you today with a short post, because my husband and I are off to Indianapolis to see the Pacers play the Phoenix Suns!! I cannot wait to see the Suns in person. It is our mini-babymoon to celebrate the first day of my third trimester. Tomorrow we are going to see a Xavier Musketeers game as well. It is a basketball kind of week. I love it. Here are a few beautiful winter wedding photographers from knottie dmu78.

Guest Blog: {Mr. Lucky Designs}

Because my family is such a huge part of Lucky Designs, I am always looking for their input. Ever since I began blogging, I have asked both my mom and my husband to take a few minutes to contribute a post. They are both gifted, wonderful writers, and I knew that blogging would come naturally to them. My husband took a little more convincing than my mom, but finally he has "stopped by"...

I am sports fan. Not over the top or obsessive (I don't think), but I have a few teams I follow, and when I watch them, I get involved emotionally. In the early stages of my courtship with my wife, I worried that she would find my interest in such matters to be trivial, or my boisterous viewing habits to be frightening, so for a long time I tried to watch big games at my place, and when watching games in her presence to try to tone down my histrionics a little bit.

Slowly, as the months passed and football turned to basketball and so on, my full sports fan persona revealed itself, and to my relief, Erin did not seem to mind it or think less of me because of it. As a matter of fact, she seemed only too happy to sit with me while the games were on. At first, she would be working on her computer or reading a magazine, but slowly I noticed that she seemed to know all the main players' names, and eventually, there was no computer or magazine, and by last Spring's NBA playoffs, I found that I was married to a ravenous Phoenix Suns fan, whose devotion and enthusiasm (not to mention the venom she spewed at their opponents) dwarfed anything that I could muster. When that campaign came to a premature and heart-breaking ending, she was already breathing fire about what we'd do to the Spurs next season.

Well, next season begins tonight, with the Suns vs. the SuperSonics, and I now live in a house with the full NBA cable package, a nicety I never would have dreamed of splurging on when I lived by myself, and am married to a woman who is a little unbalanced when it comes to her sports. I find myself guest-blogging and I wonder if the invitation was extended to give her extra time to scout the Sonics and know what we're up against. At any rate, I apologize to those of you who came here hoping to see flower arrangements or table setting ideas. But tonight's opening night, and as long as this is my wife's website, you can be sure that the Suns will get their due!

He of course is right - I am now a huge Suns fan. Check out my inspiration board I posted a while back, influenced by the orange and purple!

Monogram Friday (Anniversary Fever!)

My monogram today of course had to be black and white (my wedding colors). Sunday is my anniversary, but the celebration starts tomorrow! We are picking up a cake from Take the Cake - no frozen cake for us! Melissa's cakes are amazing, and I would highly recommend her. I am looking forward to a romantic weekend with my husband. Below are a few of my favorite details from our big day. Have a great weekend!

My beautiful bouquet from Cincinnati Urban Floral Design - another highly recommended vendor.