Bridal Shower Numero Dos...Done

Wow. What. A. Haul.

Consider the towels, potholders, and aprons done.

The fabulous church ladies of the Rocky Mountain Church of Christ really outdid themselves on Saturday. We had a very tasty potluck brunch packed with THE BEST artery clogging goodness that church ladies can provide. I modeled my wedding dress, showed off the bouquet and boutonnieres and oh yeah: GOT TONS OF GREAT KITCHEN STUFF.

I got utensils up to my eyelids and its a good thing too- we were in serious need some whisks and wooden spoons! My grandma, the ever talented seamstress, hand made me some awesome one-of-a-kind place mats- our first, a vintage style apron out of vintage fabric and my wedding purse! Also made from a vintage brocade. She really is a super grandma. Brenda also made a really nice, earthy-colored apron. Its just perfect for Tay, and I know he'll love it! I was also showered with gift cards, which will be great for anything in our registries that didn't get purchased. Not to mention the great new recipes and recipe book that Carol gave me. She had all the ladies contribute some of their best recipes. What a creative and ck&tay appropriate gift! I would have gotten pictures but I was a little busy. Does anyone have any from Saturday?

A Public Announcement

I've been getting alot of gift questions lately, mostly along the lines of what we still need. So to help you out I'll let you in on that:

Mostly we need smaller, but essential kitchen and bath things:

• wooden spoons
• spatulas
• kitchen towels
• potholders (you can never have too many!)
• a spoon rest
• cleaning supplies, including broom, mop, bucket, sponges, toilet brush, plunger, duster, etc. (please note: if any of you generous peoples do want to purchase cleaning products, candles or like, be sure they are lightly scented or unscented. I'm unfortunately sensitive to any flower or chemical smells. I'd love to be able to enjoy all of your generous gifts, so please keep that in mind. Scents like vanilla, cucumber, or a very light lavender are usually OK. Thanks for choosing carefully! XOXO)
• kitchen or bath rugs
• goofy fridge magnets or magnetic poetry (also, you can never have too many!)
• trivets
• soap holder
• ironing board
• any organizational tools-boxes, hooks, or the like

Also, feel free to pass on any books (fiction, good marriage books, cook books, or anything!), art, Christmas ornaments, or general house things that you've loved before but needs a new home. Being thrifty is not a crime! Tay and I would love anything with a history. Don't feel you absolutely must stick to the registries. Some of the most heartwarming and memorable gifts have been handmade, pre-loved, or otherwise unusual. Take for example (my personal favorite), a hand knitted pair of Christmas stockings with our names on them (our first as a couple!). How sweet, thoughtful, and will be cherished for years to come. We've also received some lovely Christmas ornaments (I love Christmas!), and even a few thoughtful gifts that are nods to southern and family tradition. Tradition is so important in making a family, so if any of you wonderful church ladies have traditions you'd like to share with or pass onto us, we would be very honored and thankful.

If all else fails, visit our online registries, located to right side of the screen at the tippy top. Macy's is located in Helena, and Charlotte has well...everything in town! I hope this gives you a better idea of what would benefit Tay and I most. Much love!!!

ck

Yet Another Registry Update

I've had multiple questions and requests for clarifications regarding the registries...so here goes:

-sheets/bedding- I found out today that Tay and I have access to a queen mattress, so I've added sheets to the Macy's registry. These sheets match the duvet cover and sham set in the Urban Outfitters wish list. Sorry, the duvet and shams are online only, but it was the only set that combined my two very favorite things- birds and GREEN! I just couldn't resist. You understand.
-Urban Outfitters- I totally lied. I didn't update the UO registry. I've confessed this before you and God, so now we can all move on. whew. I feel so much better. The UO registry is actually a "wishlist" (which is actually a registry). Put in "Walling" for the last name and "Charlotte" for the city, and it should bring up "Taylor and CourtneyWalling". Thats us!
-Don't forget the Alternative Registry. Not all presents come from stores, infact, some of the best gifts have been pre-loved and deserve a new loving home. Tay and I love books, movies, and art. Anything you you would like to pass on to us, will be loved! There is also a request for foodstuffs. We need to fill our brandnew kitchen somehow! If you'd like to help in that way, simply ask me on the blog what we'd need and I'll gladly fill you in. Also, we've requested some Giftcards from Pier One and IKEA. Some feel that giftcards are impersonal, and thats totally fine! I'll do my best to keep the registries updated and full of different price ranges for that reason. But for those who can't come Alllllll the way to Charlotte, but would still like to bless Tay and I, the giftcards are a great (shipping free) option. Since neither of these (GREAT!) stores have registries, the giftcards are the best way to help us buy furniture.

All this to say, thanks to all of you who are so generous with your love, advice, and gifts!

----edit----
- I just remembered ONE MORE THING. (I'm really not that great at this registry stuff, am I?) My wonderful future mother in law told me last night that MACY's is having an amazing sale, like 50-75% off some registry things. If you go into the store with a printed copy of our registry, MACY's will honor those prices! Wow! What a deal. So, everyone thank Cathryn W. for her insider info!

Register (to get stuff)

I'm told it's time to register for all that awesome wedding junk that married couples get for getting hitched. So Tay and I have been working on getting those up and running for you to check out. We have a couple options with many different things on there. The coolest one (in my opinion) is the Ten Thousand Villages- a fair trade group that enables you to purchase hand made stuff for your homes without all that economically irresponsible blech. Even if you don't really see yourself purchasing anything from there, take a look anyway; there are some really neat items on the site. To enable those who prefer more mainstream stores, we've also enlisted Macy's. While they don't have the cleanest record, they seem to be ok as long as you avoid Kohl's.We'll keep updating and adding stuff, maybe another registry, who knows? We are doing our best to avoid Walmart or Target. Did you know they are some of the worst sweatshop employers in the world? Yeah. No thanks. Thus the more nontraditional registries. Now, just because we aren't registering at some of the bigger stores doesn't mean we are going to turn our noses up at anything. Believe us, we will be most grateful for any gift we receive. That being said, we Love you all!

Ck and TW

Urban Outfitters- Check wishlists For Taylor and Courtney Walling (Charlotte, NC). This is primarily for fun, funky decorating...comfy house stuff along with a few super causual dishes. We think our college friends in particular will love this stuff (also anyone who doesn't take themselves too seriously). At least take a look if you're in need of a giggle.
Macy's- Check wedding registries for Taylor and Courtney Walling ( I think), October 09. This is all the fancy dining/kitchen/electronics/baking stuff. We're pretty sure if you don't find stuff on the other registries (or you're not a hippie) you'll dig the stuff on this one. There are literally a billion and half things on here with tons of price ranges. So have at it. (And Thanks!) By the way, those of you on the ball- this one won't be in the system for a few days, so give it until next week probably.
Ten Thousand Villages -Check for Taylor Walling. This one is just awesome. It has some casual glass ware, linens, and homey stuff that married people sign up for. This one is our favorite as its all handmade and fair trade.