Random 5 Friday

Hey y'all! 

I have taken a cue from Michelle at It's A Small Town Life and chosen to do a "Random 5 Friday" for today's post. From what I gather, it is a collection of 5 random things you want to share with your viewers ... on a Friday. :-D

Here goes:

1. Southern Belle Glitz.  To put it simply: they are amazing. I recently made my first purchase there and I haven't taken this Kentucky state necklace off since! Not to mention, their packaging makes you feel like a Queen! They have SO many cute Kentucky-themed accessories, but they also have incredibly adorable and affordable pieces suited for all occasions. Visit their website at www.southernbelleglitz.com

2. 100 Happy Days: This project has been flooding my newsfeed and I am so happy to be participating. If you need a daily mood-booster or simply want to document all the awesome little things you find to be happy about, you must do this! Follow me on instagram (username: kileyinkentucky) to see my #100HappyDays as they happen. Sign up for the challenge here. 

3. Children's Miracle Network Fundraiser Update: I have raised $72.00 for CMN since I began selling notecards through my etsy store. I have had 3 more orders this past week....and will have new designs coming out in the next week. Keep an eye out!

4. On the horizon: MS Awareness month begins March 1st. My best friend and MS Warrior, Ramsey, will be featured (complete with video interview--and OMG SLEEPOVER)! Look out for her on March 21st! 

5. It's A Small Town Life: If you don't follow this blog, you should! Michelle is the first real blogger I was ever exposed to. She makes the most minute details interesting and captures the Kentucky countryside so beautifully. Check her out at www.itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com

I'll see y'all next week!

A Short Trip Down Memory Lane + Osborne Wedding

Hello and Happy Friday! I have been looking forward to this week's post for over a month---ever since I ran into Hayli Beth Davis (as she was then) at Jury Duty. It is truly hard to believe that we are grownups, old enough to be taking off work for things like Jury Duty; "old enough" to be changing our last names and planning for babies. I don't know if I'll ever feel old enough for any of that....only time will tell. 

Seeing Hayli was a wonderful surprise and brightened my whole day. We whispered about her upcoming wedding and I had a million questions about how her new career as an elementary school teacher is going. 

A few nights later, I sent her a quick message asking if I could document little details of her big day for my blog. Much like she did when her (now) husband got down on one knee, SHE SAID YES!

Before we get to the wedding part, I had to take y'all down memory lane. Memory Lane meaning...the depths of my Facebook photos. I traveled all the way back to 2009...aka The Glory Days...to our senior year of high school when the only events we planned were prom and homecoming.

From L-R: Laura, Hayli, Val, me, and Sam at Class Night

As much as it PAINS ME (look at my chubby baby face) to post this picture, it is iconic in our friendship. We were often told we looked like fraternal twins!
P.S. Hayli, you are every bit as pretty as you were in high school!

This was a Student Council photo shoot held on the famous Buckner Hill. We were excused from school to take photos for the yearbook. Hayli is in the gold, looking so Girl Next Door.

.........................................................

Ok! Trip is over. We've come back to the (recent) present....when Hayli and Jordan got engaged. The awesome Brittany Dile, of BDile Photography, signed on to do her engagement and wedding day photos. I think she did a pretty excellent job capturing Hayli's style and personality. 

I don't know Jordan, but I adore the way he is looking at her in this one! They make the sweetest couple.

..............................................................................

Now fast-forwarding to February 15, 2014. Hayli + Jordan become husband and wife and Hayli Beth Davis (HBD) becomes Hayli Beth Osborne (HBO). PRIMETIME, BABY! (pun intended)

I arrived at the venue, my best friend Val in tow, on Lemon Bend Road an hour early. It was a chilly day, but the sun was shining and that was enough to make it the perfect day for a wedding. We walked in and this sign was the first thing I saw.

It was painted by the Bride herself....I may or may not be stealing this idea for my future wedding (many, many moons away).

These jars were lined with the most unique buttons! They hung in two rows, making an aisle for the guests as they entered, and later, the wedding party.

I'm calling this one the "Shabby Chic Chandelier." It was made by my 5th grade science teacher, Ms. Lisa Curry. The blurry picture was not on purpose, but I kept it because it shows how soft the lights were in real life. 

The guest book station. I loved the programs and the little details that made it delicate, feminine, simple, and country all at the same time; a hard balance to find, executed to perfection.

Yes, there was a horse :)

Gorgeous Val is not used to being in front of the camera, but the horse took an interest in her and I had to capture the moment(s).

The Band is back together! (Minus Laura)

I'm not an official photographer and it didn't feel right to snap any pics during the actual ceremony. So, I asked Brittany Dile if I could share some wedding day photos with my KileyinKY viewers.

Take a look and read through a short interview with the new Mrs. Osborne :)

KileyinKY: How long have you and Jordan known each other?

Mrs. Osborne: Forever!

KileyinKY: Was it love at first sight?

Mrs. Osborne: I didn't give him the time of day at first, because I didn't think he was my "type." But after the first date I was hooked! We've been together for 5 years.

KileyinKY: What was the hardest part of planning a wedding?
Mrs. Osborne: I wanted a very simple country wedding. It was difficult to talk everyone into the simplicity I wanted...some things I could really care less about.

KileyinKY: What are you most excited about as Mrs. Osborne?
Mrs. Osborne: I'm excited to simply be married to my best friend...and hopefully, move my clothes into his big walk-in closet!

KileyinKY: Do your students call you Ms. Davis or Ms. Osborne?
Mrs. Osborne: They still accidentally call me "mommy" on a daily basis! But, I couldn't stray from Ms. Davis this year. I'll start over as Ms. Osborne next year!

 Thank you for letting me share in your big day, and letting me share it with the world!

A special thanks to BDile Photography for allowing me to use your amazing photographs. If I were a fraction of the photographer you are, I would be in business myself.
If you'd like to see more of the Osborne Engagement or Wedding photos, or to see more of Brittany's work click here.

Greeting Cards for sale on Etsy!

Hello! Happy Friday and Happy Valentine's Day. I hope your week has been as productive and harmonious as mine has been. If not, TGIF. Actually--no matter how good my week has been, it's always TGIF.

Today is the day my Greeting and Thank You Cards go on sale. I talked about it in last week's post and have been very busy at work getting them ready for you. (I didn't realize I was such a perfectionist...it's a lot of work being detail oriented!)

Besides the making of the cards, the biggest step was to open up my very own shop on Etsy. Until my products are in stores, this will be an easy way to make some sales!

Remember, my primary reason for doing this is to raise money for The Children's Miracle Network. My goal is to raise $300.00 by July 1st. All profits made from these cards will go toward that $300.00 fund! And I am more than open to surpassing that goal. I will sell as long as y'all are buyin'!

There are 2 cards for sale starting today!

You may recognize this design from last week's post. I decided I liked it better in blue! What do you think?
You can order it here (in customizable colors)!

The second design:

This Thank You Card is great the way it is or be customized to convey any message you would like.
It can be purchased here.

My official logo appears on the back of each card.

My official Etsy store can be found by visiting www.etsy.com. Once you arrive at the site type "KileyInKentucky" into the search bar....my little shop should appear!!

More details about the cards (size, number per pack, custom designs) are included in each item description on Etsy.

At the moment, I am working on two really colorful and fun designs. As always, I will keep you updated as they are finished and ready for sale.

I will be personally donating your funds to my donation page on The Children's Miracle Network website. After the first donation is made, I will include a link so you can keep up with my progress and watch the numbers rise!

I hope that many of you will take advantage of this time to not only replenish your collection of thank you notes, but to make a donation to The Children's Miracle Network through me. I couldn't think of a better cause to put my time toward!

*To quickly acknowledge Valentine's Day and give a shout out to my favorite boyfriend, here is a picture of the card I mailed him this week!

Here's to you, Daniel, for not passing judgment when I tell you what I had for lunch and include that I put copious amounts of tabasco sauce on it. You are truly the best!

Now, to spend my Friday night in a state of relaxation! Tomorrow, I'm off to a wedding and a reunion with my very best friend. I hope your Saturday is looking as bright as mine. Love y'all! See you next week.

I thought all week...still no title.

Happy February: The month of love. This month I am celebrating birthdays of best friends, a little day called Valentine's Day, and a wedding I will be documenting on my 2/21 blog post. Good things happening this month!

February is also the month I begin fundraising for The Children's Miracle Network. For the past two years, I have raised money for CMN through my participation in the Miss Kentucky Organization. In 2014 I have raised $100.00 but need $300.00 more to meet my goal of $400.00.

I have gone about fundraising the same way in years past, and, I'll admit: I haven't quite put my heart into it. No one likes to ask for money, even if it is for a good cause! In order to alleviate some of my reservations about fundraising in the usual way, I am doing something a little different this year.

Instead of simply asking for money, I want to give something tangible to each person who donates. This can be viewed as a purchase, a gift, a reward, or a symbol of your donation. However you want to look at it, it's all for the kids!

First, I wanted to create art. But that is a very, very daunting, time-consuming, and risky task.

No worries, though...it all fell together with a doodle.

very blurry picture of said doodle

I drew these flowers while watching a UK game on the couch. When I had completed the drawing, I looked at it and thought "this looks like a thank you note I would want to buy." And that's where it started.

My mom has always taught me how important it is to write thank you notes. Why it took me so long to truly understand the reward in receiving a small note of thanks, I'm not sure. But since the day it finally "clicked," I have kept a drawer full of thank you notes and make it a point to write at least one each week.

My original idea was to create a line of one-of-a-kind, original, hand-made thank you notes. I so enjoy purchasing, sending, and receiving cards that are unique, personalized, or have been touched by someone's own pen or paintbrush. There's nothing more special than that.

But, because I had a flood of ideas hit me all at once, I am going to make holiday, birthday, encouragement, sympathy, and "just because" cards as well.

I began working on my templates last week. It has been a slow and frustrating process because I want them to look perfect. But, I'm going to have to get past that because only computers can produce perfection....and computers are what I am working against.

This canvas holds the design for a greeting card, but I will be selling canvases like this in all color schemes and with personalized  texts

As it stands right now, I have 3 designs ready to take to print. As soon as they are ready to go, I will have them available for sale, with more to follow. I will most certainly keep you updated on prices, number of cards per pack, and where they can be purchased. However, one thing is certain: 100% of proceeds will go to benefit CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK.

Okay, I gotta get to work!! Can't wait to see y'all next Friday, Valentine's Day! Have a wonderful week, friends. Oh, and because this is the month of love, I LOVE YOU ALL.