8 Months & Tomato Soup

Wow! We are only 8 months away from our big day. For some reason, 8 months feels further away than 9 months. I have a feeling this may have to do with the fact that I had very little time to focus on the wedding this month. 


Now lets see what I didn't accomplish this month... 

• Order bridesmaid dresses Ordered! They should arrive in a few weeks. 
• Order wedding shoes Ordered & returned (remember this post?) 
• Get a passport Still on my list...
• Determine information to go on invitations I need to sit down with the parents about this one
• Find a band Yes, yes we did! 
• Photo booth sewing project On hold at the moment
• Finish goodie bag prep Bags sewed! 
• Get in shape Starting today! (I promise, I wish it wasn't raining...) 

Well looking at this list, I did get a few big items crossed off. I feel so much better now that we have a band. In all actuality, the wedding could now occur because we have the venue, the dress, the food, the videography, the photographer, the music and the family & friends. Looking at it this way makes it appear so simple. 

Now for this months goals:

• Get a passport
• Invitations figured out. I would like to order them at the 7 month point.
• Decide on honeymoon
• Complete a few DIY projects
• Keep looking for shoes (this may not happen until spring shoes come out) 
• Book a hotel for wedding night 

This should be doable. There are a ton of things I would like to do but I think a lot of them have to wait until I meet with the rental company & a few other vendors in December. I am so excited. 

Want to know something else that I am so excited about?

Simple Tomato Soup

This couldn't get easier. I promise. 

28 ounces tomato puree

28 ounces whole, peeled tomatoes

3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1/2 white onion, chopped

1 celery stick

1 Tablespoon Mrs Dash (or any salt free seasoning)

1/4 cup parsley

2 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. 

Stir and cook over medium, low heat until onions are tender. The first time I cooked the soup, I cooked it for 30 minutes and the second time I left it on the stove for over an hour. The 30 minute soup was just as tasty as the hour + soup. So cook for whatever length fits your schedule. You may want to reduce the heat to low if the soup begins to boil. 

If you have a hand held blender, process soup in the pot but make sure to turn off the heat. You can also blend this soup in a blender just be sure to only fill the blender half way or the heat will cause you to make a hot mess. 

If you used no salt added tomatoes, you may want to season lightly with salt. I used salt added tomatoes and there was no need for added salt. If you like your soup thinner (like most canned tomato soups), feel free to add more water after you blend. I preferred the thicker consistency. 

We are having a ton of rainy weather down here and I am grateful I froze a few servings :) 

Now it is time to clean the bathroom & work on a few crafts for work.... 

.live creatively well.

-nicole.