Since you've been gone

It's been 9 months.

The hardest 9 months of my life and oh so much has changed. Everyday that passes I just reminisce and miss you more than those that have past.

You just had a birthday! Happy 53rd Birthday in Heaven, DAD! I hope you had a great time celebrating, we sure did down here.

Last Saturday, July 6th Brandon and I were at a work event downtown in LA but I managed to break away to throw my dad a little birthday party. We went to Gelson's and got him some balloons to release, a card, and even his fav, some carrot cake!

A look back at some of his past birthday celebrations.

I'm having a hard time realizing this will be the new "norm" for celebrating his birthday, but he was an amazing man and definitely deserves being celebrated. I just wish I could tell him in person!

Happy Birthday Daddy, you are missed and loved more than you'll ever know.

Bridal Shower #1 ~ San Jose

My sweet soon to be mother-in-law and sister-in-law put together a beautiful bridal shower last month in San Jose while we were up visiting. So many people flew in to be there to celebrate with me and it was such a beautiful, fun shower. I am so blessed to have a great family I'm marrying into. It is SO IMPORTANT! I totally scored :) 

Here are some pics from bridal shower #1

Food table & decor

Make your own perfume station

Beverage station

Decor

Yummy Snacks

Adorable Decor

Guest book and favors

Cake decorated in the Hollywood Theme - so yummy!

Adorable gifts

First half of my rehearsal bouquet

What a haul! 

How are we going to get all this home?! 

It was such a great day with lots of great ladies! It was so nice to be able to relax and just show up and be surprised. 

~Brittany 

~Live Wisely~

I was browsing around facebook tonight and came across this amazing set of reminders that I need to remember myself:

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio.

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Phoenix Bridal Shower ~Nautical Themed

My mom and sister Lisa absolutely knocked it out of the park for this bridal shower. Lisa and I came up with the themed idea and they just ran with it. I was so impressed! Every little detail was perfect and I am so blessed. Sure made me feel like home with all the beachy nautical touches. Here's a glimpse back  at the wonderful shower from last weekend. The weather was perfectly spring in Phoenix and made for a great day outdoors to celebrate!

Adorable invite. 

Table with favors - decorated nautical wine glass, homemade chocolates by yours truly, and cute note to everyone. They turned out so great! 

Close up of the favor

Mom made this adorable lifesaver wreath! I am just obsessed with it!

Mom found this beachwood sailboat while antiquing up North in Arizona and just knew it would be the perfect touch, it absolutely was! Great place to show off our engagement pictures!

Entry table to drop the recipe cards that were included in the invite, place to sign a message to the bride in a "message in the bottle" 

How cute is this picture my mom found of me when I was 2! Made me tear up! So glad she took a pic like this of me at that age!

Close up of the message in a bottle to the bride

Seashell shaped serving dishes

My bride chair - decorated with a mesh and shell covering

Yellow flowers everywhere 

Decor

The hostesses sis and mom

Guests arriving 

Present table set up outside with a burlap table cloth

Sister getting the beverages ready

My sweet little cousins 

Me and Sis - I absolutely loved the teal&yellow color themed outfits as noted on the invite, it made the shower so much more decorated! LOVED IT! Everyone looked so great!

Me with sister and Krystal (her best friend that helped with the decor)

My with my mom and mother-in-law(who flew in from San Jose to be there to celebrate!)

Me and my fur baby Molly!

Friends at the shower from all times in my life, was so great to see everyone in one place!

Game time! Who has the groom?!

Memorize the tray - which was a trick to distract them, the real game was what was I wearing!

Sue had the groom!

But I stole him :) 

My cute beachy cake!

Opening gifts

Me with mom & sis

My finished rehearsal bouquet from both showers

The boys crashed the party at the end after their day at the A's/Dodgers Spring Training game - a little intoxicated but was fun to see him after him partying for 3 days!

Our little family 

It was a beautiful day all around, so blessed to have everyone at the shower that was there and all the decor that my mom and sis worked so hard to put together! 

~Love the Future Harlow's~

32 days to go!

Holy Smokes!

This wedding is just about a month away, I cannot even believe it. There is so much to do and not enough hours in the day!

Things on my to do list that is left:
*Song List
*Groomsmen Gifts
*Something old, new, borrowed, blue
*Alterations
*Seating Arrangement
*Hair/Makeup Trials
*Finish gifts
*Write vows
*Get together our suitcase
.....

Just to scratch the surface!

I am so excited for our wedding getaway and honestly cannot wait for it to finally be here and be Mrs. Harlow. I have been dreaming of this day my whole life and I can't believe it is almost here.

Bridal showers are done
Bachelorette and Bachelor parties are complete
Dress is in hand

Final details for the WISELY/HARLOW wedding are underway!!!

I'll leave you with a picture of the wedding resort.

~Brittany