pictures from the shower...

Here are the pics from the shower...check the post below

for the story on the party...xo H

All photos credits go to Abby Liga, photog extraordinaire, at Liga Photography, Orlando, FL

it's been sooo long (sorry!)

Hello again in July.  It's been a while since I've posted so I really feel like there is tons to say.  Let's start with what's been going on since I last left you...well, I have been here in Sarasota and will be here until I go back to France on August 3rd.  I was going to head back on July 16th, but Yann had an awful lot of bad shifts for this month and he wasn't going to be able to be home in Marseille much at all.  So, we decided so that I wouldn't have to spend my 27th B-day all by my lonesome, that I should stay here in SRQ with fam & friends until August comes.  His schedule is much better then and we will be able to be together much more.  We were bummed when I changed my plane ticket to extend my stay here, but I know the time will pass fairly quickly and soon we'll finally be reunited!  I miss my guy so much!

And I had my bridal shower here at the house.  Abby took some beautiful pics that I will be posting as soon as they arrive.  It was truly a wonderful party.  Usually the bride is kept from knowing the planning details, such as the theme, games, food, ect.  Well, as you know, NOTHING about my marriage has been traditional, hence my mom and I planning and executing the whole thing ourselves. ( With some late night help on the eve of the shower from Steph & Abbs)  I felt first hand what it would be like to be a caterer/part planner.  First, we had to start with a theme; we decided to do a pink-y French, Eiffel Tower theme.  Sounds kinda trite but it really turned out cute as a button.  We wanted to have my dad's new espresso machine out on the counter for all to use, but we didn't want to buy 10 million cappucino cups that we can't fit in my mom's already full cupboards.  So, after a quick search on ETSY, we decided to buy customized latte mugs from an artist.  I thought it was better to support an artist and they did turn out so cute.  Each one was a little different.  Then after the guest used her mugs for coffee she could take it home as a favor.

We really went all out on the food.  The only things we ended up getting 'catered' was the cake and the fruit and veggie tray.  We made deviled eggs, creamy dill shrimp salad, mini sundried tomato and leek quiches, mixed olive plate, curried chicken salad on baby croissants, cheese board (with all French cheeses), home made hummus and toasted pitas, and tea sandwhiches.  We cracked open many-a-champagne bottles and had a great time overall.  I also ordered a cooper cookie cutter in the shape of the Eiffel Tower and made sugar cookies.  I iced them with Royal Icing in pink & black and put them in little bags as favors.  I made this fabric banner with said, "Congratulations, Heather & Yann" to hang on the walls.  It felt kinda funny doing all this extra work for my shower, but for parties, I go all out.  I really wanted to do an above average job so people would remember it.  

Instead of the stupid games, like, Pass the Greased Cucumber Between your Legs, we made up French Trivia games, where we tested everyone knowledge on French cusine & culture.  We also said some simple phrases in English and we gave a prize to the person who could translate it into French.  Good times, good times, maybe I should have made them play the Greased Cucumber game...

Anyways, all has been good since then.  I am headed up to North Carolina with the fam to do some summery hiking and camping.  Of course, my hound, Rascal is coming. We'll be celebrating my birthday on July 29th,  but it will feel weird to celebrate without my hubby there.  He will be there in spirit.  Katie R. is coming up from Atlanta and Rascal and her doggie are going to have a blast, I'm sure.  Her dog has never been hiking before so Rascal will have to show him the ropes on the trail.  

I've been doing this massive project for my family.  I ordered a machine from the internet where you can take all your old VHS and transfer them to DVDs.  So, I'm on DVD #61!! (OMG)  And it' been really nice to organize and catalog all the old family tapes.  I feel so nostalgic looking at us as kids; our parents really provided a great childhood for us.  So many adventures, birthday parties, presents at Christmas...I gleaned some good parenting tips from watching those tapes again.  I have to say old mom was the best birthday planner ever.  She would plan elaborate pool & patio games for us, and then we'd go inside to play Bozo Buckets and pin the tail on Minnie Mouse.  There was, without fail, always a pinata,  (this from their years living in Mexico in the 70's), which we would beat senseless until candy came pouring out. Then while we kids where shoving cake in our faces, there would be a knock at the door and a clown or a magician would come in to keep us entertained.  When I look back I feel like we've always had a lot of love and attention.  That's something so important to see on the videos, because many of the things on these tapes I was too young to remember.  But even though a toddler may not remember getting the ballon animal from the clown on her 5th birthday, she will remember the love surrounding the event.  I just hope I can give that same energy and excitement to my kids someday.  

Anyways, pics will be following soon...check back! 

my husband is a ship boat CAPTAIN! and other great news!

My husband just told me some great news that i have to share.  In fact, I can't not share it with you, because i am bursting with pride...Yann is a real-life-official-international Ship Boat Captain!!!!  How cool is that?! Wait, here is the coolest part; he already was one as of April 1st, 2008, so that means i married a Captain!  He apparently attained enough hours of ocean navigating that he automatically became a Captain.  Which is nice because #1: we thought he wasn't going to have this classification until this November and #2: he is eligible to get hired for a position as a Captain; which means good things.  So, a big Congratulations goes out to you, baby.  You look so darn handsome in your Captain uniform...xoxo. 

Congrats to my good friends Katie R. & Stephanie D. for rocking it out in the job search area! They both called me within 2 days to tell me that they were offered great positions at very well-known companies!! You go, ladies.  I knew all your job searchin' blues would be over shortly, because anyone should consider themselves a lucky employer to have you on their lineup. I'm so happy and proud of both of you and GOOD LUCK in your future positions!

to papas all around

We had some rough news about Yann's grandfather.  He is an avid cyclist(at the age of 80!!!) and he went out for a ride in France last week and unfortunately was struck by a car.  He was taken to the hospital and was in a coma for the last week.  The good news was yesterday he seemed to wake up from the coma and was trying to speak to his family.  He seemed aware and excited to see them.  So, we don't know exactly what the result of his recovery will be. But please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  He is such a sweet man and Yann is very close to him.  Here they are in Paimpol a few weeks ago on our trip.  We all are hoping he will make a recovery and be out again someday on that bike.  

And on to something happier...

Happy Belated Father's Day, dad!...i know you had the best father's day ever because you got to spend it using your chain saw to cut a fallen tree on your proptery in North Carolina.  Then you had the immense pleasure of stacking the freshly cut tree in a burn pile and torching it.  I love that you are a man of simple pleasures; your Toyota Tundra truck, your 'loaner' dog, Rascal, and eating a good trout dinner are the things that make you happy.  Thanks for the great bonfire yesterday night.  There is nothing that says summer more than a hot, well stoked campfire on a clear, cool Cashiers night.  Thank you for being who you are and doing all that you do for our family.  You truly are the best.

And to my new Papa-in-law...Happy Father's Day!

What's poppin'

Nan is the lady dressed in red.  She's gonna be having her baby very soon.....(!!!!)  Read on:

I tell you what's poppin'...my good buddy, Nan, who is gonna be having that baby of hers any moment now.  I'm just so excited for Scotty & Nan! I cannot wait to meet their little lady, Miss Adrielle Celeste.  I don't have any preggo pics of Nanners but here we are back in the day!  We had a girls weekend in Fernandina Beach (The Dirty Dina), Florida for her b-day last February.  We rode our beach cruisers to this quiet, deserted beach and had a grand old girlie time.  Anyways,  Congrats Momma Nanny and I know you guys are gonna be the best parents ever!  Your baby is going to be a Iron Chefin', Nobel Prize winnin' cutie pie!

i couldn't help myself!!

Sorry...I've put sooo many pictures from our French road trip up, but they are all so good!  I couldn't discriminate and also I really wanted you to feel like you were seeing not only us, but also the sights and smells along the way....enjoy!

update & more pics

I wrote a little about what I've been up to lately under these pics...

Hi! I'm here in Miami and there is some good news! I went to the French Consul and they granted me the visa that i need to begin the Long Stay process! Yeah! so, i go to pick it up tomorrow at 2:30pm and then once i'm back in France i can use this paper to ask for the Card de Long Sejour. 

And other good news that I forgot to tell....Yann is taking me to BRAZIL for our honeymoon!!!! He has to go there anyway this summer to deal with his visa there (ahh!! what is it with us and visas??) so he thought we could take a vacation too. He is so excited about showing me where he grew up and I'm looking forward to hearing him speaking his Portugese; it's quite hot, let me tell you. So, we are going to be doing a lot of kiteboarding in Brazil...i was doing pretty well at it when i was back in france. I actually got up a few times!  Yann's a good teacher; very patient with his wife.  And today i bought a pair of cute turquoise Crocs and some board shorts for the trip. we leave on June 25 and come back July 8th. 

So, I needed a visa for going to Brazil too!! so, i'll be doing that biz too while i'm here in miami.  miami is so cool! you really feel like you're in Latin America.. the people in stores greet you first in spanish. also, all the signs are in spanish and there is lots of good food and music.  But, i don't think i could ever deal with living here. It's crazy hot here and very humid.

well, that's about it for now. i'll be back in Sarasota in a few days and soon my mom and i will be making a trip up to asheville.  we decided that we are going to sell my cute house up there, because it looks like i won't be living there for a while. i'm sad about selling that house; i lived there during some hard times in my life.  Fixing it up and painting and decorating it made that time a lot happier for me.  I had so much fun making it a cute and comfortable place and now i'll have to say goodbye. but, i have tons of great memories from the 3 years it was mine and i have to remember that it is just a house.  a house only gains meaning from those who live inside it; on its' own it's just a physical thing.  so, i'm sure there are more great houses to be had... 

ok, well, we'll see you soon!