Monday, April 23, 2012

The Inside Scoop on Bobo

26 years ago (April 21, 1986 to be EXACT), a little chubby baby was born in Houston, TX. 


That fat pale baby would be me. 



The man who loved me unconditionally and raised me- that would be Bobo. Even after constantly pulling his poor chest hair that would peek out of that very same burgundy robe. I don't know why but I was fascinated with ripping his grey chest hair and staring at it. Bratty weird kid. I know. But he always let me do it. 

You see, Bobo and I didn't have a grandpa/granddaughter relationship- no, it was more than that... we were best friends. He spoiled me rotten. Whenever we moved, he moved into the apartment next door. He did this all throughout my childhood in Houston. 



I remember living at his house more than my own. He always had the sugary cereal at his house. He always bought me the sweet chocolate milk by the gallon and pour it in a Better Business Bureau ceramic coffee mug. I felt so mature and grown up pretending I cared reading the TIMES magazine on his coffee table. I would BEG him to smoke his pipe because of the cherry tobacco smell I loved lingering in the air.  



I was never embarrassed of him, always proud to have a friend like him. He took me to plays, symphonies, the mall, etc. He always made me laugh and I guess being the clown I was as a kid made him laugh too. I loved hanging out with him. I'll never forget the way his Buick smelled and how much I loved going to Computer stores with him to help fix things. (He's a tech guy... he used to fix computers and software etc- he had a laptop before any of us, same with e-mail, digital cameras, cell phones, and even facebook...!) 




Bobo was my number one fan. Y'all know I'm not an only child... but he sure made me feel like one. My sister and I were kids when our parents divorced (She was 3 years old, I was 8 months)- so I feel like Bobo overcompensated when it came to me. My sis was old enough to go visit alone and even moved to California with my dad when she was a little older in 3rd grade. It was like he never wanted me to feel like I was missing out on anything. 


Bobo had three grandkids- my sister, myself, and my cousin. Here's a family pic of my aunt, uncle, cousin, sister, and grandma... mmhm. 


Bobo still hung out with me even though I had awful hair cuts. Such a gentleman. This is the "You're my bestttt friend" stage. I used to race him outside (yes, he would always beat me...) play checkers with him, watch movies, and go shopping at JCPenney where he even let me buy my first electric guitar from the catalog. That was short lived. 





 Just gonna put this out there- my sister and I weren't always best friends... haha we went through the horrid fighting days- where we couldn't be with one parent at the same time- HA!!!

I remember our fights would end with my arms CLAWED up and my skin under her fingernails... or her hiding behind a wall with a spray bottle of Clorox waiting for me to come around- (and now she's the sweet mom of 3- karmaaaaaaa jk)


The worst: she was always skinnier than me but dang if she wasn't stronger!! She would pin me down and sit on me and pretend to spit into my face as I lay helpless with my arms pinned down- only 9 times out of 10 her spit would really come down haha. Anyway, I'd always run out of my house to Bobo's next door and he would make everything better. I dunno, new pair of Nike's or some more chocolate milk. {side note: Sister plays nice(r) now- and we're all one big happy family- but those days make me laugh!!!}

On to the background story about Bobo... For all my instagram followers { @sheilap } who have followed his past visit... and are wondering why he doesn't live here... and have been so sweet with all the bobo love:


My mom remarried while we were in Houston and I was in 4th grade. We moved to Colorado. Do you think that stopped him? Nope. Homeboy was on the flight right behind us. To move right with me. We stayed for 5 years and then moved to Atlanta... only this time... it was a little trickier.


We still weren't sure where we were planting our roots. At this time it was only because of my mom's best friend getting in a car accident and becoming paralyzed did we come here. My mom helped her until she found permanent care and live in nurses were arranged. The family came and just "ended up" in Atlanta.

We were officially Atlanta residents my sophomore year of high school. Bobo flew out to visit all the time. I have pics of this too but I am ashamed of my A&F attire and birkenstocks. More so than the buzz cut...


My high school years were easy because of how often he would visit for months at a time. When reality SHOULD have set in after a few years turned into a blur with four years at college.

I did NOT forget about him. He was my either my Spring Break or Summer vacation destination. He still flew out to visit but not to live... He said he was too tired at the time. I think he was scared he'd uproot himself again just to have to do it all over. Bobo and I spoke on the phone at LEAST every other day. He knew all my important test days and would make sure to call after to see how I did. He was my pen pal and we would send birthday cards for each other and other goodies. We love snail mail. I still love surprising him with his favorite coffee. He likes to surprise me with electronic stuff. I don't mind.



Why doesn't he live here now? 

Bobo lives in quite possibly the nicest state for the elderly. His benefits are ridiculously good. He lives in a revamped hotel with other elderly people and he takes the bus or walks everywhere. He's used to the cold Colorado temperature and he likes his neighbors. Moving to him is harder than just renting a U-haul and picking a place to relocate. He has to find a place, find the right plan to be able to get the benefits he gets, and find the energy to pack and move. 



Bobo is diabetic. He has some steady health issues that would cost him an arm and a leg here in Georgia. If it were just a matter of moving state to state, he would have been here years ago. When Ordy and I first started dreaming about our future, I said, "I want a room in our house for Bobo. I want him to live with us." When he said he was ok with that, I knew he was the man I was supposed to marry. {What other groom would let Bobo stay 3 weeks with us 1 week after our honeymoon??}




Now that I'm older and realizing the importance of family, I know that this long distance relationship has to stop. I won't let Bobo spend another Christmas alone. His visits have revolved around doctor's visits and prescription pick ups. He put his life and medicine on hold for 40 days so he could come to my wedding and stay long enough for my birthday. That's why he has to go back. 

But today, before I took him to the airport- I told him I can't live like this anymore. I am way too used to having him next door and I need him back in my life- not just a phone call away, but a walk across the street. I promised him I would look into any available resource to help make the move to Atlanta easier. I would sell all my belongings if it meant having him back- having him here with our families for the holidays.  

We cried. Shared some public tears. Left lunch and went to the airport. I promised him I would do whatever I could and plan on studying all summer, taking the bar in July, and showing up on his door step with Ordy, some moving boxes, and a U-Haul to move him to Georgia. He cried and said he would give anything for that day. Anything. Well, I'm done wishing, hoping, and dreaming. After spending 3 weeks with him and remembering the bond we share, the house will be so empty without him. I know I couldn't live long without his presence again. I hope and pray that we get Bobo here by September. Settled by the holidays. I would give anything to have my sweet sweet bobo in GA. 



So that's the background. Sorry to make a story out of it... but now you know. Pray that we can work out some benefits for him to move here, it would be a dream come true. I love him so much it hurts my heart!!!

Bobo:


loves dogs



loves animals

loves facebook

loves antique shopping

loves cat naps

loves teaching people about golf



loves the lotto

loves cooking

loves outdoor patios

loves people and talking to them

loves just living

loves learning how to play baseball

and the last picture I'll leave is one of Bobo at the antique auction, and the mini ottoman version of a melted Bobo that we even tried bidding on! HA!


I will keep you sweet readers and insta followers posted on Operation Bobo Home For Christmas progress- thank you for letting me flood your inbox with my bobo overdose- it means a lot to me! 

Friday, April 13, 2012

The DIY Stuff Part I: Centerpieces



So... I hear it a lot. "You're planning a DIY wedding while working full time, in your last year of law school, and working out 4x a week?? HOW DO YOU DO IT?!"


Truth is. I didn't. They did. Everyone did. The only reason the wedding was a success is because Ordy and I were surrounded by loving people who put so much into the wedding. So many hours were spent between my family and his to research, craft, hot-glue, spray paint and assemble. It was overwhelming.

Ordy's family and close friends helping make the "bow napkins"

My Mama S and Cousin Naz

The thing about me is: I shut down. When I get overwhelmed, I play ostrich. I stick my head in the sand but somehow know deep down it'll all come together. Three weeks before the wedding I remembered what my favorite bride, Lori said, "if you haven't finished a project by now, just forget about it." So, I did. Programs? What programs?? I planned on a 15 minute ceremony- I decided to save paper. Ok, truth is, I got way too busy to worry about it. I remember Ordy's mom would say, "Joonie, what are you going to do about ________" (fill in the blank: flower arrangements, boutonnieres, songs, set up, etc) and my answer was so awful I'm surprise she wouldn't slap me right there- I'd shrug and say, "I dunno..." this was up until a few days before the wedding too. (See 157 days prior to the wedding...!)


Anyway. Back to the details. I knew this much, I wanted it to be rustic chic. I wanted blush and gold. 
I wanted to "save money" by "spending time"... oh, I bet I lost friends and family members over all the projects! THANK YOU ALL!


So, the funny thing is: I thought I wanted apple baskets full of hydrangeas as my centerpieces. I didn't see a picture, I just saw the baskets at Hobby Lobby and bought all 25 of them. THE WEEK BEFORE THE WEDDING I realized I needed more gold if my colors were "blush and gold", and saw a gold mason jar on pinterest. I sent my groom a text and before I could even say, "pretty please?" he had 25 mason jars spray painted gold for me. I was obsessed. I also knew I wanted natural wood slices as platforms and milk glass + cotton!

this was the original look... glad we changed! it's cute but not AS cute!

As for the table markers, I bought chalkboards from Hobby Lobby and glued reindeer moss on it, then glued little stakes (all from Hobby Lobby) on the chalkboards. Badabingbadaboom.

Now, before you judge me. Let it be known... When Ordy gets my weekly dozen- he knows WHENEVER there are carnations to get them! I LOVE carnations and I think they are SO underrated! I knew I wanted light pink carnations and I ordered 200 from a wholesale place. (Yep, I did all the floral ordering myself, and my other mama B arranged them- my bouquet and the girls too- even the ceremony flowers. AMAZING!)

The assembly line. The carnations were in the jars uncut before the wedding. Cut shorter day of
 We picked the flowers up Friday so this was pre-bloom. We put them a few inches taller than we wanted in warm water.


 MY AMAZING day-of wedding coordinator. So back to my awful personality- the ostrich trait- well, that wasn't going to get things done. When my sister-in-law was asking me questions about sparklers and ceremony details I freaked out. I immediately met with this genius, Molly Hunt McKinley from Chancey Charm Weddings.  Her services = by far the best money ever spent. She listened to me and seriously orchestrated every last detail to be perfect. I LOVE HER!

I knew milk glass had to be everywhere! 


the semi finished look (just waiting to trim carnations)

team work!


more beautiful flowers made possible by Mrs. B

milk glass. swoon. 


wood slices and flowers. 


we added the brass candlesticks for gold and just stuck cotton bolls in

LOVE our centerpieces



the sweetheart table. My step mom slaved away and sewed EVERY single tablecloth herself!

the bows we made!

I will make a list of what all was DIY- if you want more details just let me know! Please note, more posts to come! The next one in the DIY part is the favor table/cake table/etc