September and October

Hello again, blog. As I mentioned a couple posts ago, I feel like I blog all the time, but it’s for the event company! Most of you probably don’t read it (you should cause it’s awesome and super fun to write, BLOG), so I realize you may feel like we don’t update very often. I’m going to try to keep you all up to date more often on what is going on in our lives.

A few months ago I blogged about getting to be a bridesmaid in my friend Torie’s wedding coming up in May. Since then I have not added that I also have the pleasure of being the Matron of Honor at my best friend Jamie’s wedding in May, and a bridesmaid in my other great friend Anna’s wedding in June. I am telling you I have the BEST friends in the whole world, and I am so thankful for them. I am so completely honored that all three of them want me to share their special days with them. I cannot WAIT for showers and parties and dresses and tears! Love you ladies!

So what have we been up to lately you ask? My sister and her husband recently bought a house. A few weeks ago we helped paint and move them in. It’s such a nice house only about fifteen minutes from ours. They’re still settling in, but they love having the security of their own home and a nursery that’s ready to be decorated for baby! Kelsey is now 19 weeks along and starting to show. She’s such a tiny, cute pregnant person. I can’t wait until you can REALLY tell!

Our friends Mandy and Bryce also just bought their first home. A couple of weekends ago Trent and I went to Augusta to visit and see the new house! It is gorgeous and perfect for them! We’re so excited for them and their new life. They recently moved back to Augusta for Bryce’s job and Mandy will be finishing up her degree next semester while student teaching. We got to be the first guests to sleep in the guest room! Thanks Howie’s!

Earlier in September I got to go to a few weddings, also. The first one was for two of my colleagues, Matt and Robin. I shouldn’t just call them my colleagues because they’re my friends more. Robin and I joke that we should have known each other in high school because we would have instantly connected over our love of ‘N Sync! The wedding was perfect and so beautiful! Here are some photos.

The weekend after that I got to travel with my mom and sister to Minnesota to see a family friend get married. They were our neighbors when we were little and have stayed close friends. Congratulations to Paul and Amy! It was a beautiful and fun night! We had so much fun spending time with the Shanafelts and the Hays and shopping at the Mall of America!

This weekend we went to Augusta again, this time for Anna and Amos' engagement party. It was so fun to celebrate such an exciting thing and see great friends. Here are some photos.

That’s basically what we’ve been up to. We are loving the new fall weather, and Trent can’t wait to take Yozh camping again. They’re planning a trip for next weekend. Busy busy, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!

My New Art!

So I'm obsessed with Pinterest.

I know that a lot of you are, too! I just can't help it. It's so fun! I have gotten so many ideas for brides there, food ideas for showers (I will be throwing lots of those in the near future), and home decor. Besides finding some DIY projects that I've been posting to the SHE blog, I just completed my first DIY home decor project! Take a look!




I'm sure many of you have seen it on Pinterest, and it was so easy! My in-laws had some extra wood from their old deck that Trent and I cut. Then I just screwed them together and painted the word "love"! Do you like it? I wanted to put it above our bed, but it weighs like 50 pounds and Trent was afraid it would fall on our heads in the night and kill one or both of us. So it's our newest edition to the living room!

More projects to follow soon! I'm a DIY machine!

August Update

Hello!

It's been a while since we've posted anything on here. Mostly that's because I post blog entries for my new event planning job once a week, and the research time it takes and prep time kind of blogs me out. But I thought I would update anyway since I’ve got an hour or so before I have to leave for a bride meeting J

First thing’s first. Now that it’s public, we can announce that Kelsey and Greg are having a baby in Februrary!! It is our first neice or nephew! They are not finding out the gender of the baby, which of course is killing me, but it’s super special for them and we can’t wait to meet little baby Potthast! They are also closing on their house tomorrow and they get to set up their family home. So exciting!

So Trent just started his final semester at KSU. We are both really excited for graduation to come in December. He is student teaching at Kell High School and teaching World History. I think if he could pick and choose, that would be the subject he would teach, so he got really lucky! His teacher is also the baseball coach, so he was already offered a community coaching job for the spring, even if he doesn’t work for Cobb County next year. He’s liking it so far, and making a good impression. We can’t wait to see what’s next! December couldn’t come faster!

So as I said before, I’ve been doing the event planning stuff quite a bit. I guess I shouldn’t really say quite a bit, because I am only working with one couple, but I do a lot of blogging and research for the company. I get to meet with vendors and go to meetings and I am loving it so much! I really can’t wait to do it full time some day… just don’t know when that will be possible. But, I don’t need to know because it will happen when it is supposed to happen.

Trent has also been finishing the basement and our friends Chad and Carrie have been living down there for two months. The basement is almost finished and it’s been working out really well having tenants down there. There’s a separate entrance for them and since they have a bathroom, a bedroom, and a kitchen (the living room and other bedroom should be done pretty quickly), it’s a completely separate space for them.

That’s our quick update. Hope everyone is doing well!

I Need Your Help

I need your help. With a few things. See below.

1) I have decided to start meal planning healthy meals. I think we have been ending up eating way too much bad food by accident because of the fact that we don't meal plan. I need your help because I want some good recipes that you have tried before. I have a few, but I don't want to get in the habit of eating the same thing for dinner every week. So please, email me your recipes! erin.l.stapleton@gmail.com

2) To go along with number 1, I am trying to eat healthier. SO... if you are with me and I start eating food that's bad for me, please help me stop. You may be laughing or think I'm stupid, but I'm being 100% serious. Please say something to me or don't take me out to eat at Zaxby's or KFC.

3) Spread the word about Stella Harper Events! I know I have mentioned my new event planning job, but I need your help spreading the word. If you have a friend or family member getting married or who needs help planning a birthday party, anniversary party, etc., please give them our website to check out. www.stellaharperevents.com I am really excited about how it's been going! You can also view our blog for some decor ideas and DIY ideas.

That's all. Hope life is great for everyone :)

Random

Written Friday, July 15... for some reason it wouldn't let me update...

So I feel the need to update the blog, but with nothing in particular, so here it goes: my random thoughts for the day.

1) Today I got a new computer at work. It's got Windows 7, which I've never used before (I have a Mac at home), and it's pretty rockin. It's just fun to get new things, even if they're at work!

2) Last night was the last Harry Potter premier ever. I have so many feelings about it. My first feeling is tired... not really about the movie but because of the movie. I got home yesterday after work and took a nap from about 6:30-9:00. I then went to the theater, watched the movie, got home at 3:00 and slept until 6:00. And that's the sleep I running on right now. I got a grande White Mocha from Starbucks this morning and I think that helped. After work I get to go straight to babysitting for the night. I hope I can make it until the babies fall asleep! Next I am feeling sad. It's the last Harry Potter movie... ever!! It was such a fun thing to experience every year or so: getting in line and waiting until midnight, sitting in the theater full of dressed up fans and clapping when good things happened on screen, and getting to see each book come to life on the screen for the first time! It's sort of the same feeling that I got when I finished reading the last book. It's actually over. But what a fun ride. I am also definitely feeling happy because it was such a fun movie to watch! A little dark and creepy at times, but so good! Of course I have to say that, but I really can't wait to see it again. I am thinking about having a HP marathon all weekend and dragging Trent to see this last enstallment with me. He didn't feel the need to come to the midnight showing last night. Smart guy. Overall I am sad, but overjoyed. Hope you all liked it, too!

3) Lately I realized that everytime I watch something or read something, I want to do it. That probably didn't make sense, but here is where my thought came from. Recently I have told myself that I want to be on Broadway and/or work at a musical theater. I'm not the best singer in the world, and that's what's holding me back- HA! But, this thought started on the season finale of Glee this year. It was so moving to me (not everyone loved it, I know). I started crying when Rachel and Kurt sang on the Wicked stage in NY. Then I cried for the rest of the episode, and until I fell asleep that night. Since then I got a copy of the Wicked soundtrack to prep for the September show, and I decided I want to play Elpheba. Most would say I should probably be Glinda for the mere fact that I'm blonde, but I like Elpheba better. Either way I am not ever going to be on Broadway (not being negative, just realistic. You haven't heard me sing). Another example is that I have been reading Rob Lowe's autobiography and it makes me want to be an actress! His life is just so interesting, and I think it would be so much fun! On the other hand, I would HATE to be famous, so it wouldn't work for me very well. My third and final example is one from middle/high school. I used to watch the movie Center Stage all the time. I wanted to be a ballerina. I still do everytime I watch it. If you haven't seen it before, go home and watch it.

Those are my thoughts. Nothing too exciting, but something at least. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Stella Harper Events

So if you have Facebook (which you probably do, or you wouldn't know to come read the blog), I have a new (additional) job! I'm really excited about it, and I just thought I'd share a bit about it.

So if you know me very well, you know that over the past few years I have wanted to become an event planner and have taken different steps to try to reach that goal. It's a pretty hard industry to get into full time without many years of experience. I do have some experience, just not many years.

So through a friend of mine (shout out to Ashlyn), I got in contact with Emily Smalling, owner of Stella Harper Events. She has been in business for a few years and has done some really amazing events! She took some time off to have her twin girls (Stella and Harper) and is ready to build her business back up. She graciously hired me and Ashley Croxton to help her as coordinators. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this opportunity.

Stella Harper specializes in weddings, but can also do any type of event. We can do as much of the planning/coordinating or as little as you need. Check out the website if you're looking to have an event, and need some help! www.stellaharperevents.com

June & Boston

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted a blog! I'm so sorry (as if you were really missing my posts :)

June started with a wonderful 25th birthday for Kelsey and I. We're so old now, I can't belive it. Thanks for the friends and family who celebrated with us. Trent and Greg got us really good tickets to go see Wicked at the Fox in September and I'm so excited! We've been listening to the soundtrack in preparation (thanks Katie!).

Shortly after was a weekend trip to Savannah for Michael & Catherine Haywood's wedding. It was such a pretty event and really fun to see everyone! Thanks for inving us guys, we had a really fun weekend. Great picture below of the beautful couple.

Then we headed to Plymouth/Boston/Cape Cod for a week with my family. We rented a house and all 8 of us (me & Trent, my sister & her husband, my brother & his wife, and my parents) stayed Saturday - Saturday. We did so much stuff, I think it would take hours to write it all down. Here are some pictures of some of the highlights.

On the last day we ventured to Cape Cod. After a 3 hour morning whale watch boat ride which produced no whale sightings and a couple hours discovering Provincetown, we found this stop in Truro. It was super gorgeous, even though it was a rainy/overcast day.

This was the view from the front porch of our house in Plymouth. It was gorgeous. It was crazy because when the tide was low, there was no water and these boats were just sitting in the sand.

We also got to go to Boston for a few days and discover a lot of the history there. It was pretty cool. This is the Old State House Musuem. The Boston Massacre took place right on the street oustide of this building. Cool place to experience.


This was the menu at an awesome burger place we went to at Harvard. They have like 100 different kinds of burgers that they make. This is a short version of the menu. It was so good and it's featured in The Social Network. Watch and see if you can spot it!

This is off the pier in Plymouth. It was so pretty!


We got to see a lot of different very old graveyards with tomb stones from the 1700s. This one is in Plymouth. I love this picture because it overlooks the water.

We also got to go to a Red Sox game. Greg and Trent loved this part. Fenway Park was really cool and it was fun to sing Sweet Caroline in the 8th inning!

We had a great trip and have decided it's time for us to stop vacationing for a while. We have been out of town forever it seems like this year. Of course we love it, but our poor dogs are getting confused with who these different people are they are seeing every week!

July will still full of fun, but fun in town! Hope you all have a great 4th of July! Wish we were still in Boston for this holiday!