her wedding day is here.

Hi, all Spicy readers! It's Victoria from Marie Tea and just in case you didn't know, today is Jenna's wedding day! The day she's been planning for and dreaming of is finally here! I'm so honored to stand by her side as she says her vows and gives Noland her hand, while entrusting her heart to the care and protection of his, forever. Marrying the man of your dreams is a pretty amazing way to end one year and ring in the next {no pun intended}. Well, as one of Jenna's bestest friends, I have temporarily hijacked It's just called Spicy {with her permission, of course} to gush on the beautiful bride on the day she walks down the aisle.

Princess Jenna, it's YOUR day!

Sometime last month, during one of our usual weekly conversations, Jenna shared that with her wedding day quickly approaching, she found herself thinking back, flipping through the precious memories, filled with family and friends, that have helped lead her here. As a married lady, having worn those sentimental wedding preparation shoes before, I totally acknowledged that reflections of both the heart and mind are not only healthy and normal, pre-wedding, but they're just as necessary as they are precious, especially since the key to fully appreciating where you're going, is by first cherishing where you've been. And I cannot stress enough, how blessed and privileged I am to share our friendship and be one of the active observers that have helped you beautifully dance your way here.

While digging through old pictures, I was reminded of all our crazy shenanigans. I thought of how we used to drive all around college town, dressed really ridiculously, singing our favorite songs, feeling on top of the world. I remembered all of our midnight dance parties, all our silly-face photo booth sessions, all our movie nights accompanied by chocolate chip cookies, all our mornings when I'd wake you up for school by bribing you with chocolate chip pancakes, and all our countless moments of being there for the other, whether to mend a broken heart or simply cut the other's bangs.

Friendship is one of life's greatest, greatest blessings. Friends build us up when we're feeling down, give us a shoulder to cry on, show us a mirror to see ourselves through better light, and teach us how life and love is better when shared with another.

Last night at Jenna and Noland's rehearsal dinner, we watched a slideshow of pictures of the two lovebirds that captured the years before they found each other, along with snapshots of all the times since. As a fairly new mama, I thought I would instantly cry as soon as baby Jenna lit up the projection screen, but surprisingly enough, the tears began to flow at the first picture of the happy couple. It was then when it hit me, wow, this beautiful friend who has blessed me with her laughter, her smile, her secrets, and her love is getting married. The lifetime of joy she has dreamt of and talked about with all of her closest friends, is about to begin...and not only am I blessed to share in her happiness, but I am beyond excited to watch her marry her bestest friend of all.

Jenna and I have a friendship theme song...cheezy? Maybe. But it's Taylor Swift's, "I'm only me when I'm with you,"and as she walks down the aisle today, I know deep in my heart that Noland will take care of her, honor her, and bring out the best in her. Jenna, I hope you enjoy some of these silly snapshots of our crazy beautiful friendship, but know it's Noland's love that truly lights up your life.

All my love, Victoria

Guest Post Palooza: Contemplating Beauty

Today, I have Gina from Contemplating Beauty sharing some perspective on the New Year!! 

Be sure to show her some love and check out her blog!

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Hi everyone, I am Gina and I blog over at Contemplating Beauty! You can find my blog here, I hope you come by! I am so thrilled and humbled that Jenna is having me as a guest post, yay, thank you Jenna!

I started to blog because I love to share things. I love to share thoughts and perspectives through writing, and I've learned through the process that it's really that I love to connect. I love the connection with people. I have always been super relational and intentional with the way I live and love others, and that is something I wanted to talk about today!

As we approach the New Year there is always so much talk of course about New Year's resolutions.

It's everywhere, and I'm sure it will be all over in the blog world too. I wanted to share a little bit about how I feel about New Year's resolutions. I'm not a big fan.

I'm not trying to be a debbie downer here, but here is how I like to think of it:

Why not approach everyday as a resolution? The definition of a resolution is to resolve something; a course of action. Isn't that something we should be doing on a weekly basis with our lives? Even a daily basis? A resolution is not a once a year thing, it's a continual process, a refining process.

Why look at it only as we approach the New Year? I don't make New Year's resolutions because I make daily and weekly ones.

I dig deep and seek out how and what needs to change in my life with intention every day. I cling closely to God to find out what doesn't align with Him, and what attributes and habits I could rid myself of. This is not a yearly thing.

So how bout, "What is your weekly resolution?" Ya, I like the sound of that!

Thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you and see you over at my blog.

I still think it's good to have "New Year's resolutions" I just wanted to give a different perspective on the whole approach. I am open to ideas and thoughts!

When I'm not blogging you can find me snuggling with my dog, reading a good Henri Nouwen book, writing, sipping cappuccino's, cooking dinner for my family, walking my bichon-poo, organizing my teenage daughter's hectic schedule, or going to Physical Therapy. I look forward to getting to know you and hearing from you!

Guest Post Palooza: Originally Me

Hey Everyone! Today we have Lindsay from Originally Me! Take it away girlie!

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Hi there sweet readers of it's just called spicy!  I'm so happy to be here today on Jenna's blog!  I hope she doesn't mind me taking over for a bit while she's off getting hitched :)  

So, this is me!

I'm Lindsay.  And I blog over at Originally Me.  I also run a fun little eclectic shop by the same name.

I love being a little artsy fartsy.  Design is my passion.  I'm currently in school to get my Masters in architecture.  I always see the glass half full.  I'm just a happy go lucky girl.  I have big dreams and I'm a go getter!

Ok, enough about me... now on to what I want to share with you...

So I love to cook and I love to eat, but let's just say I'm not the most coordinated in the kitchen.  I have the bad habit of dirtying every dish in the kitchen when I attempt to cook and somehow I manage to burn the easiest things.

Ok, so now that we cleared that up, you know this is going to be a pretty simple recipe and when I say simple I mean your 4 year old could probably make it.

I'm going to teach you how to make one of my favorite desserts... HELLO SWEET TOOTH! My mom's homemade (or almost homemade) Oreo ice cream!

Only 3 ingredients are involved

.. 1 package of oreos

.. 1 16oz container of Cool Whip

.. 1 1.5 quart of vanilla ice cream

step 1 : Dump Cool Whip and ice Cream in a large bowl and let it melt enough to be able to stir it together.

step 2 : Chop entire package (minus the few that you happen to eat) of Oreos.  I have this magic chopper (that you can see in the pictures) that every woman in my family owns.  It makes life so much easier, but you could also just put them in a ziploc back and crunch them up... whatever works
step 3 : Once Cool Whip and ice cream is melty enough, stir it together until it is a consistant mixture.

step 4 : Mix in Oreos

step 5 : Pour into a container
step 6 : Put into the freezer and refreeze ... make sure that you make ahead because it does take some time to refreeze.

Enjoy!!! mmmm It's making me hungry just thinking about it! It may seem simple, but I'm going to tell you, it's probably the best Oreo ice cream you'll ever eat.  It's just sooo creamy and yummy

And while you're enjoying your ice cream, I'd LOVE love love for you to stop, by my blog, shop, twitter or facebook and just say hi!! It would definitely put a smile on my face!

p.s. If you're obsessed with Oreos, I also shared a recipe for Cookies and Cream Cupcakes on my blog a while ago.  You can find it here!

Guest Post Palooza: Keeping up with the Cantelmo's

Hey Everyone! Welcome to Guest Post Palooza Day 3! I'm headed to Tallahassee today to prepare for the wedding on Saturday and am no where near a computer.. Today, I have an awesome guest: Melanie from Keeping up with the Cantelmo's.. Take it away girl! (: 
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 Hi there! My name is Melanie and I am so thankful Jenna asked me to guest post while she is away getting MARRIED!!!! YAY! I {love} weddings and all things to do with weddings. Jenna, I can not wait to hear about your special day. Enjoy it!

I started blogging to update family about my kids and husband. Soon I realized that I could use my blog to bless and encourage other men and women. God laid it on my heart to share my story and how God has redeemed me. I had two children before I married my husband. It was not ideal and not what I planned. Even though I made mistakes and turned away from God. God continued to pursue me and show me how much He loved me.

Currently our family is going through a challenging season due to my husband losing his job this past June. God is carrying us through this difficult time and blessing us during this storm. He is so good.

Today, I want to share with you a piece of my favorite post I wrote about marriage. Sometimes I get so busy with life, that I forget about saying "I do" to my husband every single day. I hope this encourages you to do the same!

{source}

I believe everyday we need to make a choice

 to love our spouse.

Ever day we need to say "I do"

It’s not easy, but it’s so worth it!

Today I am choosing to say I do:

When it isn’t easy

When the kids are whiny

When everyone is sick

When the house is the mess

When I didn’t get much sleep

When you didn’t get much sleep

When you have to work a whole lot

When you need a cheerleader not a nag

When the day doesn’t go the way I thought it would

When you run errands you don’t want to run for me

When you need extra love because you had a hard day

When we don't have any money to pay our bills and we are worried about the future

When I need to tell you that you are a wonderful husband and a great dad

When I find out things about you that I never thought I'd ever find out

When I need to extend to you the grace that you extend to me

When I believe in you more than you believe in yourself

When I need to be covering you in prayer all day long

When you need me to give you my whole heart

When you need extra hugs and cuddles

When you need love after a long day

I am sure there are many more ways 

I can show my husband that 

I am saying "I do" to him every day.

Sometimes I get so busy that I forget about the 

man I said "I do" to

It's important for me to remind him how thankful I am for him, how much I love him and what a wonderful guy he is

How do you say “I do” everyday?

Thank you Jenna for having me.

I pray that you can remember to say "I do"

in the good times and the hard times!

Love, 

Guest Post Palooza: Ashley from 5ohWifey

Welcome to Guest Post Palooza Day 2! Today I'm enjoying time with Noland's family at Disney World Day 2! But no worries, with this fabulous Guest Post Palooza, I have Ashley from 5ohWifey! So show her some love!
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Hey y'all! My name is Ashley and I blog over at 5ohWifey: life as a mommy and cop's wife. I am SO SO thankful to be posting on Jenna's lovely blog today.

I am amazed every day by what God is doing in my life. I am a southern girl now living in California against my will. I am the wife of 5ohHubby who is a police officer and wonderful man and no that's not mutually exclusive. I am a stay at home mom to an amazing little girl I call 5ohBaby and she is my whole world. We have probably the cutest, ugly dog out there (5ohPup).

I have a BA from Florida State (Go Noles!) that started out as an English Degree, ended up a social science degree, and is now being used as a MRS degree (because I don't work now... see how I did that?) Basically I paid FSU lots and lots o' cash to meet the man of my dreams and be the back up plan in case 5ohHubby decides his days of runnin' and gunnin' are over and he'd rather be a stay at home dad (and all the police wives laughed).

I want my blog to be a place where we can laugh together, cry together, and just be real with one another. I think I'm funny, and sometimes other people do, too.

I try to blog about what I know. I love to blog about faith, life as a police wife, parenting, mommy style and fashion, DIY projects and recipes. I try to keep it as real as possible. I blog about everything from holding on tight to my little one to the time I accidentally fed her jalapenos. I write about both the joys and the stresses of being in a police marriage. I love to cook and even make my own baby food. Sometimes I get a little crafty and dabble in fashion posts.

As we speak we are traveling with the most adorable little girl out there.

But... she isn't always a happy baby.

 I'm not usually one for apologizing for my daughter. She's a baby and baby's cry. But then again we're not usually stuck on a 5-6 hour flight across the country with unseasonably grumpy travelers. What's a stressed out mama to do?

Make them goodie bags, that's what.

I knew I wanted to make goodie bags for other passengers as soon as I knew we were taking this flight. So I did what any mama would do. That's right. I scoured Pinterest for ideas and I found these awesome printables. I loved the idea but I needed to add two little things to prevent the other passenger's ears from bleeding make the other passengers even more sympathetic to our travel plight.

Two little kisses and two earplugs. Hopefully our neighbors and flight attendants will have mercy on two travel weary parents feel much more comfortable sitting near us.

The tag reads as follows:

she may be good

she may be bad

we're sorry if she makes you mad!

hope this makes your flight a little sweeter!

Hopefully this flat out bribery gained us some sympathy!

Come on over and check out my blog. I'd love to get to know you!

Guest Post Palooza: My Soul is the Sky

Welcome to the first day of GUEST POST PALOOZA! As I go to Disney World and then prepare for my wedding this week, I have lined up some fabulous bloggers for you to get to know! Make sure to show them some love! First up, we have Melissa from My Soul is the Sky!

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Hey!

I'm Melissa from My Soul is the Sky
and if you haven't seen my blog yet come check it out.

  I've got an assortment of hairstyle tutorials you should come see!

The Double Braid inspired by Rachel McAdams is one of my favorites!

 

I've got a few other tutorials that you can find over on my blog so you should come check those out too!

Be sure and let me know you stopped by!

Thanks Jenna! for having me guest post on your lovely blog!

Holiday Giveaway Winner!

Merry Christmas!

Today I'm announcing the winner of the Holiday Giveaway! 

and the winner is.. 

Congratulations! Send me an email to:

itsjustcalledspicy {at} gmail {dot} com

with your address so I can mail you your WOW Christmas CD

Congratulations Chelsea! Looking forward to hearing from you! 

And wishing everyone a 

Merry Christmas & 

Happy New Year!

Tomorrow starts the Guest Post Palooza

Get excited because I have some wonderful Guest bloggers lined up! 

My wedding is on December 31, 2011. So please pray that 
I don't trip down the aisle! so excited! 

Thanks ahead of time to all the Guest bloggers! 

& Thanks for stoppin by, 

xoxo Jen.

CHRISTmas & Thanks Linus!

Christmas is now less than 4 days away and

 I will be Mrs. Robinson in less than 10 days! wooohoo!

I can't even begin to grasp what all this change will bring. I have so much to do to prepare for the wedding that Christmas has almost become a complete afterthought. I mean I'm excited about Christmas but I'm a little bit more excited and giddy about New Years.. only because I get to promise to spend the rest of my life with such a great man! Tonight, we watched Charlie Brown Christmas for the second time this holiday season. 

My favorite part:

This part truly captivates what Christmas is all about. 

Linus says: "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this [shall be] a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

I just love this because I've really tried to get into Christmas this year but with the wedding it has been so hard. Christmas is so commercialized too which doesn't help either.Watching Charlie Brown Christmas really brings us back to what Christmas is all about: the birth of a Savior.

So I've looked up some Christian holiday ideas that 

I would like to incorporate into this Christmas and next: 

1. Watch the Nativity Story movie.

It's newer. You can find more info about it here.

2. Go to a Live Nativity Scene or have your kids participate in a Nativity play

(we went to a Live Nativity scene this past weekend. It was too dark for pictures but it was very neat!)

Here is where you can find easy Nativity Costumes.. 

pinned here

3. Make sure to decorate with more than just a Christmas tree.. 

Put up a nativity scene or decor that reminds you of Christ's birth 

pinned here

4. Watch Charlie Brown Christmas

It has such a great message, as shared earlier! 

5. Plan a project of Good will this Christmas

Volunteer at a homeless shelter or donate food to the homeless. 

6. Send Christmas cards that convey a spiritual message 

7. Attend a Christmas church service

I grew up going to midnight mass at the Catholic church. As a kid, it was so magical to be awake at midnight and celebrate the birth of Christ. so exciting!

8. Make a Birthday Cake for Jesus

9. Set aside time to read the story of Christ's birth from the Bible...

10. Call an old family friend or relative/ Write a letter to a missionary.

For the elderly and a lot of missionaries who are in different countries for Christmas, this time of year can be very lonely. Write the missionaries or visit an elderly person that you don't know too well. Ask the elderly about their family, their holiday traditions from when they were younger. Any lonely elderly person would probably be overjoyed to have some company. 

Those are just some traditions that I would love to incorporate in my own life. We are going to mass this Christmas on Christmas day and have already done some of these things but I can't wait until next year when I can incorporate them all! 

Do you have any ideas on how to keep Christ in Christmas and not let your holiday become over-commercialized?

Thanks for stoppin by,

xoxo Jen.