Post-It Worthy Moments...

Trip down memory lane #4....AND Show us your life!

Happy Friday, lovelies!!  If you have not seen episode 1, 2, or 3 you should check them out!!

I noticed that the topic this week on SHOW US YOUR LIFE is how you met your husband! This episode kind of goes along with that!..

Here was the cliff hanger from the last episode....

This is me and my best friend April.... We are so TOTALLY excited because.....

Scott asked the question every little girl dreams of hearing one day... I think it went something like...

Scott: "Raylene Nicole Powell, will you marry me?"  

Raylene: in shock "yyyeeESSSSSSS!!"

Scott gets TOTAL bragging rights... he had the most adorable engagement planned ever!!!

What? you want to hear the story? Ok... I guess I'll share :)

Scott and I have been friends since high school... we graduated together and became best friends during college.... we dated for a little over a year before getting engaged and go married around a year and 1/2 of being together... but it can happen... I DID marry my best friend!!! 

Scott truly knows me.. and if anyone knows me.. they know that I lOVE to plan things.  So...  here is the story...  Our friend Tim calls me and says, "We should plan a surprise birthday party for Scott before you go back to school." I of course think this is a GREAT idea.  So Tim instructs me to invite our close friends to Jack Stack (best BBQ in KC), and give him the # and he will take care of the reservations.  Well of course this was a great plan because Scott had been wanting to take me there all summer b/c I had never had it before- oddly enough.  So... I invite all our friends and I got Scott to take me there!  Well Scott had a great idea to go to the park by the Plaza (which was normal... we went there a few times that summer)... I thought that was a great plan- a way to be sure everyone got there before I brought him!  

So we are walking around the park and Scott leads me over towards a path... and right off the path was this table and it had flowers and the box I decoupaged him to put cards and such in... there were pictures of us all over this lace covered table... it was beautiful!  Well I didn't see any of this as we approached it because this random lady was laying on a beach towel 'sun bathing'... except she was in a complete pant suit.... so I was so confused by this... I was really distracted! This was to Scott's advantage though... I didn't see the table until we came right up to it!  He was like, "I knew about your plan all along."  Well.. this didn't register right away... so I said.. "WHO TOLD YOU?!?!" thinking someone had totally spilled the beans about the surprise party!  Well he then opened the box and inside was all my letters... and another little black box...he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!!! It was one of my favorite moments ever! I said yes... of course and we hugged and kissed!  The he said... 'come on our guys'! Tim was video taping and my best friend, April was taking pictures! It was amazing!! I am a huge scrapbooker.. and I always thought it'd be great to get that documented!!

So we get to Jack Stack and all of our close friends and our parents were there!  (which is why Tim did the reservations... to include our families) So... Scott let me plan our engagement party... all along thinking it was his birthday bash! :)  It was amazing!!

We were right next to Kauffman Garden... so we went and took engagement pictures in the garden! It was so funny b/c we actually matched that day... and no it was not planned that way!

I love these pictures... because they are actually candid... we weren't posing for any of them... but April got the best moments! She was a great photographer :)

THE ring!  This is another thing that earns Scott some bragging rights!  April and I went shopping for rings... and I gave her the task of sharing my favorites with Scott and he could get a variation of what I liked.  He is a sweet man... but he doesn't really have an interest or an eye in jewelry.  So I knew he'd need to know my taste! Well he got my DREAM ring.  That ring that you pick out and wish you could get but know it is not likely!  Well thats the one he picked!  From my favorite local jeweler... Tivol!  They have a store down at the plaza.. so beautiful!  He did a great job!

We're kind of weird. We are well aware of that fact. :)

Well... there is the engagement history!  

Hope you all have a great weekend! Tomorrow I get to attend a simulcast of Beth Moore's conference about her new book, So Long Insecurities!  I'm so excited!

Home-goods...

Good afternoon lovelies!  Today has been a GOOD day!  I got to experience the overwhelmingness that is HomeGoods with Stacey.  It was hard to take everything in... I don't think I could go in that store without picking up an amazing find!  We started off the afternoon with a much needed lunch... Stacey introduced me to a new place downtown Mission, KS... it is amazing!  I should have taken a picture of it to share with you

These are some of my amazing finds this afternoon!  2 neat shelves, a gift box that I LOVE and some micro-fiber cloths! I also got this cute rug for my 1/2 bathroom on our main level!

I think it looks really good with the green walls... and it is a pretty small space... fits perfectly!

Now... I have also been working on some 'home decor' projects... here is my progress... I'd LOVE your thoughts!

Project #1.  This wall is in our living room (down a couple of steps from the open kitchen/dining area)  

I have finally decided what I think this wall needs...

Thanks to the wonderful prices at Target... I found these adorable shelf set

Here is the result!  I don't know if this is the final draft of what I will arrange on them.  But I would LOVE your thoughts here.  I need a good place for this beautiful painting... my brother got this for me while in Florence, Italy!  I. LOVE. IT. So I need a place to display it so everyone can see!

Project #2. I have been trying to decide if I need to do something different with my mantle.  I am on the search for some white framed mirrors to hang above the fireplace... or 1 giant mirror... who knows... it is really hard for me to decide on this stuff.  

***side note***  We painted the fireplace white- so please ignore the off-white tile b/c we have plans to change them, along with the fireplace front thing. 

Here is a close-up of the mantel... I would love any suggestions you may have.

Ok... I got these adorable vase filler wicker balls... any thoughts on how to use them?  I have a few empty vases I can try... but.. I was hoping to get some other ideas from my lovely readers! - No pressure.... :)

Hope you all have a great Saturday... I'm heading on a date with the hubby! 

Post-It Worthy Moments...

What are some of your 'Post-it worthy moments' of the day?!

1st Game of the Season!!

LETS GO ROYALS!!! Yes... I am one of those... pathetic... hold on to ANY strand of hope possible type of fans.  I know you already know that, given that I am a Royals fan. :)

Tonight was my first game of the season! I took some pictures just for you!

My favorite things about Royals games:

1. The Jumbo-Tron is the biggest HD screen in the world.  (at least it was when it was built a couple of years ago... this could have changed)

#2. David DeJesus is by far my favorite Royals player! He seems to always come through for the team and has the best attitude on the field.

#3. I love Kauffman Stadium!  I love how it is set up.. and all the fun new additions!

#4. If anyone of you know Scott, you know that he tends to be a man of few words.  Well... just take him to a Royals game... and observe!  He will talk the entire game, sharing statistics, history, facts about the game or the player up to bat or on the field!  He is a wealth of knowledge- of any of his favorite sports really! 

#5. Date nights!  Scott's parents got us a 9 game season package with parking passes!  This is the 2nd year they've done that for us.. and it makes for some wonderful date nights!

#6. BUCK NIGHTS!! Ok... I was disappointed that tonight wasn't a buck night..

#7. ROYALS. HOT. DOG.  enough said.  If you've never had one... its a must... especially on $1 night!

#8. Friday Night Fireworks!! We didn't stay for them tonight because we both have to work in the morning... but I LOVE fireworks.

Favorite new things I learned about this week:

#1. GROUPON - My cousin-in-law turned me on to this website!  You should check it out if you haven't yet... they have some great deals, and there is a different one each day for your area!  

#2. LOSE IT! - Application for iphones/ipod touch... they also have a website.  I have been using this for 3 days now and I love it.  I have a friend from church who lost 40 pounds by using this and by walking!  It is a great way to keep track.

#3. OH.. and THE ROYALS BEAT THE RED SOX!!!

What is your favorite thing about this week?

Trip down memory lane... episode #3

Good morning lovelies!  I have really enjoyed these trips... that bring back some awesome memories!!

If you're a new reader, be sure to check out Episode 1 and Episode 2!!

This was my cliff-hanger from Episode #2 -- This was me claiming Whitney and I's tent placement at the campground!  This was one of our float trips!! These were a  guaranteed blast!!  

This is Whit, Me, and April!  This was such a fun trip!  April and I had some interesting moments... "Up top babe!", "Tree ahead!"... the word 'ahead' usually means you have time to avoid it....  well sometimes I would get this instruction as we are going OVER the tree! hehe When we would have a successful  could-have-easily-tipped-over moment we would celebrate with the 'up top, babe' by high-fiving with our paddles!

This picture is funny to me... This is the first picture of Scott and I (after we started dating)... this pictures takes me back to the days when it was still awkward b/c we were best friends who started dating... and it took a couple of weeks to get used to that transition! This was one of those awkward moments... 'oh.. we don't have any pictures together yet...being together'... lol pretty sure something like that was said..

This is one of my favorite college memories! This is Candace, Me, and Jen.  We were all 3 Beasely Babes- 3rd West!  We went down to Mansfield, MO (yes home to Laura Engles Wilder) to visit Jen's hometown over Halloween weekend!  This was the cutest little town ever!  We drove around trying to scare ourselves and watched several scary movies... which I can no longer do... they scare me way too much!

Welcome to Brenda's Cafe in Bolivar, MO!  This is possibly the best cafe in the world.  They have the best coffee, and the BEST french toast I've ever tasted!  If you ever take a trip through B-Town... be sure to find this adorable cafe tucked in the square right downtown.

This is Me, Stacey, and April at our Bless-ed conference!  The Lord blessed me so much with a great cousin, John, who inspired me to start a biblestudy during college.  We ended up forming a Conference for Bless-ed up in Kansas City and it was a great time!  This is a priceless picture! I love it!

This was an amazing night!  Candace and I were determined to make our vote count in the mid-election! So we decided to drive up to Lee's Summit from Bolivar to vote and return the same evening!  We were always up for a good road trip!  This is after we both got our much loved stickers! 

She's going to kill me for this picture... but it was one of my favorites!  We stopped to get gas a have a potty break on our way back... so we had to have some fun... shopping for sunglasses late at night.. hmm... we're strange... this we know. :)

This was STEERING COMMITTEE 2007!! We got to lead Welcome Week- which is a time for incoming students to learn the ropes and have some fun a few days before classes start! Its a BLAST!  I was Social Chair this year!

This is STEERING COMMITTEE 2008! Myself and Justin (the guy next to me) were Co-Directors of Welcome Week 2008!  We had so much fun!!!

K... here is the cliff-hanger... what in the world could April and I be so excited about? hmmm...

PS: Don't forget... if you decide to do a trip down memory lane episode on YOUR blog.. please come back and leave a link so I can learn more about you and your favorite memories! :)

Have a great Wednesday!

Monday, 1-Day...

Where did I get the title for this post?  I would be tempted to buy someone Starbucks if they can figure out where that is from!!... to bad most of you lovelies don't live in Lee's Summit, MO---ROAD TRIP!

Here is the quote:
"Monday, 1-day, Tuesday 2-day, Wednesday, wha-wha what day?..."

Bonus point if you can say who said it!

Ok... so I was thinking about today and I was contemplating what the 1 thing is that I would want to share with you from my day...

I think I partially chose this b/c it is the most recent thing I can think of...

There are a few things that need to be told about this picture:

1. Jen and I usually Skype on Monday evenings when I get home from class.... why? because Scott and Ben are usually playing Wii golf... or tennis (that's their new fav)

2. Jen was making some hard-boiled eggs throughout our conversation... she was practicing for her Food Network show and gracing me with her cooking show skills.

3. I DID in-fact learn something new today about eggs.... you know that moment when you wonder to yourself... 'Are these eggs done?'  Well you no longer have to live in wonderment!  Simply take your egg out of the water and spin it on the counter... if it wobbles then it is not done... it is done when there is no more wobble-age.  This may have been common knowledge... but new to me!

3. This was taken after we spent a few minutes laughing loudly because Jen decided to 'test' the egg or something to be double... or triple sure that it was hard I mean, hard-boiled.  She dropped the egg on the counter... and as I expected.. it cracked! In fact... it is dented... thats what the picture ultimately is showing you... the dented hard-boiled egg.

4. IT'S DONE! Perfectly hard-boiled... all 12 eggs (well 11 if you minus the dented) 

Have a great monday night lovelies!

Raylene is the name... Organization is my thang!

This week Kelly's Korner's SHOW US YOUR LIFE topic is organizational tips... and let me tell you... I. LOVE. TO. ORGANIZE.

Some things that help me feel organized:

1. Planner:  Having a planner allows a visual reminder of planned events

2. Color Code:  Yes, I'm one of THOSE.  I color code my planners (for the most part)  right now, I am in school so each class has a different color, work has a color, church, bdays/anniversaries all have different colors.  May sound like a dorky idea... but it totally works for me!

3. For my class notes... I ALWAYS date my notes... also I have the Microsoft Office for Mac and on there I am able to set up my notes to look like notebook paper... and they have tabs on the side so each day of class I open a new tab for notes!  This has been a HUGE help in studying for exams.

4. Filing Cabinet:  Wow... I have no idea what I would do without our filing cabinet.  I have a file folder for EVERYTHING!  All of our bills, our car stuff (maint/insurance), health insurance, investment information, house documents, along with several other categories... I love this system b/c I have a different label for each thing and they are all in my drawer in alphabetical order!  I even get as specific as 'Ray Health Ins'/ 'Scott Car'/ 'Ray 401K'.. etc. This makes things VERY easy to find and I always put the MOST UP TO DATE items in front!

5. Bill Pay:  I really enjoy paying bills online... I save so much $$$ not having to worry about writing checks, buying stamps, or hunting down an envelope.  In order to stay organized in this area... I always write the date I pay the bill, the initials 'BP' so I know I did elect to pay online, the confirmation #, and amount paid.  I also write the confirmation # in my register to have record there as well!

6. Coupon expando:  I know this is not the technical term for this heavenly invention, BUT this is one of my favorite things.  When I go through the paper on Wednesdays and Sundays and get all the good coupons out that I want to use... I used to get overwhelmed at trying to paper clip all the like-coupons together... well see ya later, paper clips!  I found my expando at Target and they came with sticker labels, so each slot can contain coupons specific to its labeled category! I. LOVE. IT. It is also small enough to fit in your purse!

7. Card Wheel:  Also at Target, I found this wonderful card wheel.  This really helps keep the clutter out of my wallet, but allows me to have all those important gift cards or business cards I need to handy, but that I don't need spilling out every time I open my wallet!  This is a must have!

8. Pantry:  My husband and I recently moved into our first home... and we actually have a pantry now!  yay!  I now have my pantry organization down to a tee! I put all my cereals together (in order from tallest to shortest) I have all my 'lunch items' together (soup bowls, mac and cheese bowls, gushers (yes, Scott and I still like fruit snacks and gushers), canned fruit).  If there are duplicates we stack them. The other 1/2 of that shelf has other canned items and bread/pasta items.   I then have my baking things on a shelf of their own all sorted by height as well as 'most used' items. You can really tell a lot by looking at someone's pantry... what does yours say about you?  Not sure what mine says about me... hmm.

9. Card Box:  I LOVE my card box.  I am one of those crazy people that still loves to get snail mail!  Anyway, these boxes have pre-made dividers for the different occasions you may need a card for.  I have since added a few of my own dividers.  However, purchasing cards is by far one of my favorite things... my favorite brand is Fresh Ink by Hallmark!  They have the cutest cards in the world... so when I get in a Hallmark mode, I tend to stock up on some cards.  This is handy because no matter what the occasion or the time crunch, I always have a card that will work!


I'd love to hear some of your favorite organizational tips!!  I could write on this topic for days, I'm sure!

Have a great day, lovelies!

Thank you, Pleated Poppy!

Hello lovelies!

A month or so ago I won a giveaway from the Pleated Poppy!  I was so excited b/c I. LOVE. HER. STUFF.  So the hardest part was choosing what to use my credit on!

Well.. after much agony... I did finally decide what I wanted... I got some of her famous pins as well as an adorable bag (below).

HOWEVER... these adorable pins have been begging for the perfect place to be displayed... well internet... I found it!  The PERFECT place!  Let me know what you think:

BEFORE:

(Bag compliments of: Old Navy-they had several colors if you're interested)

AFTER:

(yes... that is Ms. Molly's tail in the background)

Here is a close up of the adorable pins:

Aren't these adorable?!?! You can get some of your own here!