Sister From Another Mr.

This, my friends, is my Maid of Honor, Emma. She is also my best friend in the entire world. When I got engaged at an early age of nineteen years old (pause for startled gasp)... Emma was just as nervous about it as everyone else. We knew that our lives and our friendship was going to change forever but didn't know how that would look. 

We have been inseparable since about first grade. We made it through the awful, awkward middle school years attached at the hip and even when we went to different high schools we were always a big part of each others lives. 

Such little faces =)

Potato gun madness

When I asked Emma to be my MOH I knew it was the natural choice. She knows everything about me and loves me for who I am. Being so young we had no idea what a MOH did and what her responsibilities were going to be, I just knew whatever it was I wanted her to be there with me through it all. 

It hasn't been the smoothest considering we are learning our roles together, but each day Emma shows me unconditional love. She has put my happiness above her own to make sure that my wedding season is exactly how I want it. She has such a serving heart, offering to do anything and everything she can to help. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without her and she has completely blown me away with how she is handling this change in our lives. 

Emma is one of the most incredible blessings in my life. I hope one day I can return the love and servitude that she has been giving me today. I love her with all my heart!

Hostess with the Mostest

Today I am having some friends over to work on wedding decorations! As the wedding inches closer and closer I can't help but get more excited about my new life with John. This coming life holds new adventures and even newer responsibilities, including playing hostess to friends and family that visit our home. Practice makes perfect right? 

After cleaning the house all day, I stopped to make a yummy summer dessert to share as we slave away gluing and cutting tonight. Of course that means I headed to Pinterest for some inspiration ;) That is where I found an amazing looking "Strawberry Trifle Dessert". 

The recipe comes from another blog (shown below)

http://craftysisters-nc.blogspot.com/2011/06/strawberry-trifle-dessert.html

So instead of just copying what this blogger said I decided to show you the recipe in picture form. 

First on the list; my ingredients:

• Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries
• White Chocolate Pudding Mix and milk
• An Angel Food Cake
• Yummy Whipped Topping!!

(exact measurements in the link above)

Next, I rinsed all my fruit and lay them out across the table because all the colors made me happy and I wanted to look at them, don't judge.

Cut the Angel Food Cake into one inch squares and eat all the crumbs that fall off because I said so. 

Slice about three cups of strawberries.

Next, you're going to make the pudding: mix the two boxes of pudding mix and the milk. Whisk for two minutes and then let stand for two minutes. 

Finally, you're going to start to layer all your ingredients into a large glass serving bowl. Start with 1/3 of the cake, add 1/3 of the pudding, 1/3 of the fruit and then 1/3 of the whipped topping. Do that three times, ending with the whipped topping. Then make a fun design with your fruit to finish it off!

This recipe was super easy! The ingredients make the dessert very light for hot summer nights which in my book means it's absolutely perfect!

Now I just need my friends to get here so I can dig in! 

Stay You, Stay Happy

This past year has been focused around understanding my mind and my body. I fully believe that being true to who you are despite how others view you is a major key to your own happiness. That being said, I also know how hard it can be to succeed at this goal. 

I thought I'd share how I started to accomplish that and what I learned about myself along the way.

1.  It is OK to say no!

• For me especially, I am too easily pressured into volunteering for too many things. I find myself over committed and overly stressed. So when I find my schedule overflowing with appointments I reevaluate where I am spending my time and decline some events.

     2.   Take some needed time alone.

• Being an introvert, I lose energy when I am around a lot of people for too long. When I can feel myself getting drained I will find time in my day to relax in a quiet area and do something I love, such as read a magazine.

     3.   Spend time with people you love.

• When you are working or going to school there seems to always be people on a mission to put a damper on your day. So when you get home and can surround yourself with those that love you, it is a lot easier to put those stinkers behind you. I love spending time with my fiance, Johnathan. He never ceases to brighten my day. =)

Fun day trip to Ocean City!

      4. Get active!

• When I find myself being lazy for an extended period of time it amazes me how awfully my body and mood are affected. As soon as I get active my mood heightens, my body feels energized and my muscles feel awakened and ready to go! When I get caught up in an overwhelming moment, my doggy and I will head out for a short walk. It's absolutely life-saving!

Mine is the beautiful Golden Retriever, Cota.

   OK so those are four things that I have been working on lately that have been making me happy. It's been a crazy journey to understand who I am and to also be happy about that person. Learning techniques that can make you feel good about yourself is essential to leading a fulfilling life.

Hope this encourages you to find what makes you happy and not be afraid to get out and do it! 

To Start Things Off

Welcome to All Things Nice and Gingerful! 

To start off I'd like to introduce myself and explain why I decided to start my first blog. 

My name is Jessie Ford. I am twenty years old and living in Salisbury, MD where I am a full-time student trying to figure out what to do with my life and what my next steps are going to be.I am majoring in Exercise Science and hoping to one day work in rehabilitation with our nation's veterans. In January, I am marrying my best friend of five years and starting a completely new and scary stage of my life! This coming fall, I am moving into my first apartment with two of my bridesmaids. 

This year has held a bunch of firsts for me and though I am prone to getting trapped in the stress of change I am so thankful and blessed for what this journey holds. I decided to create this blog because it is a great way for me to share things I love with others and to keep myself grounded and grateful for everything God has blessed me with. 

Anyway, I'm nervous but eager to see where this blog takes me and anyone who reads it! I sincerely hope everyone enjoys their stay =)