Wedding Dreams

Ever since I can remember I have planned my wedding. I used to imagine myself in a huge Cinderella dress, tiara and when clear heals became popular I was beside myself with joy! Eventually my ideas changed into a Wizard of Oz theme with an emerald city cake, yellow brick road and skittles on every table. I always had it planned and would wonder who my groom would be. It was all about the wedding. Me being the superstar for the day. Then I met Jeremy.

When we met I had just turned 30 and my tastes had begun to change. I still played with my wedding ideas in my head and sometimes would even imagine him as the groom. But still this was all just an idea, a dream that was mostly in my head. When Jeremy and I started to talk about getting married I started putting my ideas together and my dream started to move closer to my heart. When Jeremy proposed and asked me to be his wife my heart exploded and wedding plans became so real! Well as most of you know I broke my leg the day after and so in my pain med state I watched every wedding show on TV I possibly could so I could feel like a wedding was really coming. The past few weeks it has become much more real to me.
"Wedding" isn't it. As little girls we dream of our wedding without understanding it's just a door to marriage. A path brand new to us and something we can't understand until we walk it. Thinking about what this wedding means brings up memories of so many I've been too. A wedding where it seemed the girl was being pressured to marry the man, the wedding where the couples love was so evident they never let go of each others hands, a wedding where the couple was expecting a baby and didn't seem to care about the commitment but just wanted to make their family happy and another where the bride and groom laughed through the entire thing until the officiant told them this was serious. It is serious. I'm not saying you can't laugh at a wedding but I am realizing the seriousness of what I am committing to. Fancy clothing, cake and flowers aside I am promising to spend my life with this one person no matter what. No divorce, no cheating, no outs for us. This is it. The day we get married we become family. And family stays, no matter what.


After thinking about these things I realize how serious it is to take the time to choose who you make these promises to and really seek God on it because HE ALONE can see through people and know our true desires, intentions and hearts. I feel for me that God has led me to Jeremy and although neither of us are perfect people we do our best not to keep secrets from each other no matter how small. We are see though in our thoughts and feelings.

I am so excited about my wedding day, I feel like it will be a wonderful friend reunion I may never have again till I am in Heaven but even more, that day I will bind myself to an amazing man and with our family and friends celebrate something God created to be wonderful.

If I could leave this post saying one last thing, don't be the person who gets so caught up in the wedding planning that you can't wait till it's over! Cut things down if you have to, it's not about having the best event.. it's about the people around you and the beautiful promises you will make.

- Mary Jane

(SIDE NOTE: Please know I am not condemning anyone who has been or is divorced. I do not pretend to know everyone's situation. This is just my story)

Broken Bride-To-Be

My last post was so fun to write. My life has literally been insane in the past 7 days. I moved to a new Salon, Jeremy proposed (best night ever and every time I think about it I cry) and then the next day disaster struck. I was walking in the new Salon with my brother to cut his hair and somehow when I told him to watch his step, I stopped watching mine. I fell and heard the crack and pop. I knew I broke my foot.  The pain was shocking and disgusting. My brother looked for something to brace it with and then he and another guy carried me to to the car (thanks to that guy who helped, I was in no way going to be walking) We got to the ER and right off I started joking around with the male EMT who had a sweet, natural, white hair patch. If I didn't joke I was going to throw up and think. My wedding was in SIX, weeks and I'm in the ER. Everyone was really nice to me. Mom met us there and said right off, "You will walk down the aisle". I handed mom my new engagement ring to keep safe. They gave me a pain pill which did help and made the tears stop running down my face. I kept telling everyone I was engaged! I didn't know how else to keep from freaking out. Jeremy was at work and we told him to stay since we didn't know what was going on. The Doctor came in and gave us the news, I broke 2 bones, the Tibia and Fibula and that I would need surgery now.I have never broken anything or had surgery so this was all new to me. Before I knew it they were giving me a shot in my back and wheeling me away. 9 screws, 15 staples and 1 metal plate later I was done.

Surgery went well, I guess since I was asleep! ha! I woke up in the recovery room to my nurses playing candy crush. I think I babbled on and told them I was engaged and getting married in 6 weeks while in the back of my mind I was worried I wouldn't be. I was pretty loopy for the first 2 days in the hospital. When Jeremy got there I asked him to put my ring on me again. Being in the hospital sucked. I had awesome nurses but the pain from my foot was NOTHING I have ever felt before. They said they could have me use a bed pan but I couldn't imagine trying to pee while laying down. It was really hard at first but I started to use a walker. Jeremy stayed with me the whole time I was there. I don't think he even slept the first night while they were trying to manage my pain. He was there for anything I needed which if you know me at all I take care of myself so having to ask for help to get off a toilet is not an easy thing. The first time I talked to the Doctor I was too loopy to really understand what was going on. 

On day 3, checkout day I understood better. He said I MIGHT be in a boot in 6 weeks..wedding day... You see at this point I don't mind being in a boot because it will be covered but to be freshly in one and possibly hurting? Not on this day I waited for for so long. I cried a lot. The Doc said I wouldn't be able to even put pressure on it for 3 weeks. The new salon I was at is up 2 sets of stairs and I had 5 weddings booked in the next 6 weeks. You can imagine my devastation. Jeremy and I don't live together so suddenly he has said he is going to take me and my bills on with his. I was so upset! This is one of my best seasons for work and I am O-U-T - out. While laying there in the bed I just prayed for help. I can't explain it but even though this totalllyyyyyy sucks I feel like God has this whole thing in his hands. I was able to find a stylist friend to take care of all my clients and a photographer friend to take over all the weddings. I didn't want so many people put out because I can't walk right! lol

My dear friend Jo said to me one day, "Figure out the most important thing about your wedding and go from there". I thought about it and apart from the dress, food, and where I REALLY want it to be, my number one's are, marrying Jeremy Sims,

having the people I love there and not being in pain. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

So many people are praying for me and I can feel it. Day to day God is providing for this broken Bride. My friend Amanda is coming over everyday so I am not alone and bringing her sweet baby which really brings me joy, my parents have taken me in and are caring for me, I have a walker and thanks to my friend Brittany a really nice wheelchair and who knows what else God has in store. I didn't write our love story, and I have no idea what is in this chapter now but God has us in his hands. So until the day I WALK down that aisle, I'll be writing blogs I'm sure, a friend suggested it :)

Also, I don't like asking for help but my dad has set up a 

Go Fund Me  to help Jeremy and I out. I have had several people ask so the link is there. MORE THAN ANYTHING please pray for my bones to heal amazingly!

Until next time.... Mary Jane

Mr. Sims

He called me on a Tuesday. I remember because my friend had given him my number 3 days before. I thought he would never call. I got a text saying he was sorry he hadn't called and that he had been busy at work and he hadn't forgotten me. I told him I thought he must have and tried to act like I was so cool I didn't care. But I did. I always cared about meeting a new guy because you never know when it could be "the one". He promptly called and asked me on a date to Kings Chinese Buffet. In my head I was thinking how a buffet wasn't romantic but then again I was going in to this just hoping for a good meal and a good story to share at the salon. All my blind dates have sucked. There was the one with the firefighter and he said he would call and didn't. Then there was the one with the guy from Eharmony (yes, I tried it) and he was cool but basically ended up telling me we could date once I was a certain size. 

Later I found out he was WAY too into himself. Something I got from him was that a girl should be in heals and a dress when you meet, so my next blind date I was... and everyone else was in jeans. I felt like a weirdo. I went on another blind date and did the heals and dress thing and when he picked me up I had to walk through the grass and climb in his truck by myself. That was weird. That whole night was.  Another blind date I went on was a double and by the end of it the guy had told me that he was SO busy with choir and work I wondered how he ever had time to meet me. My friend had it worse because the guy she met couldn't even remember her name. Oh, there's more. I met another guy for coffee and a movie and during coffee he talked so much about himself that when it got quiet, I had to ask him questions so the conversation would keep going. He was so into himself, I think he dated himself but didn't want anyone to know.

So as you can see I wasn't expecting much with this new blind date... esp with a chinese buffet on hand.

I decided against the dress and heals because, well I hate heals and they hurt and props to girls who can wear them but they are like torture devices to me. I feel sexy but in pain and that's lame to me. I got ready, curled my hair and was wearing my fake lashes. Guys like REALLY pretty girls I had learned and so I did my best to smell and look good and be as polished as possible.
Time was getting closer for my date to arrive, and I wasn't too nervous because I didn't want to be let down. I heard a car pull up to my apartment and looked out the window. There he was and as he got out of his car a giggle rose up in my throat. You see my dad has this awful banana yellow polo shirt he wears that is way to big for him. It's like the ugliest yellow I have ever seen. And there was the shirt on my date. Not only that but my dad has light colored jeans, you know the ones that are so faded and used to be cool in the 90's? Yes, my date was sporting those as well and to top it off, white tennis shoes, just like my dad. I was a bit surprised and dissapointed because wasn't I supposed to look sharp, and be going on a date with a sharp looking guy who did not look like my DAD?! (Sorry dad, I think mom might have hidden your shirt by now lol)

My door bell rang and I greeted my date, Jeremy Sims  with a hand shake, and he walked me to his car and opened the door. Ya, heart melted a tad. He told me he would like to take me to Olive Garden and secretly I was SOOOOOO happy. We had a great dinner. I remember feeling comfortable with him and laughing a lot. He was good at talking and good at listening. We spent the rest of the evening talking and going to see a movie. He wanted to do a sweet one and I was thinking sci-fi was a safer choice. During the movie he leaned over and said "If you get to scared I could be persuaded to hold your hand." Cute, I though but no way, he could still be a creaper. When the date was over I hopped out of the car before there was a weird goodbye hug/kiss moment and he asked me out for the following week. I was looking forward to it and the next week when he came to my door, there he was, standing in my dad's banana yellow shirt again. I wanted to laugh so bad. When we got to the car he mentioned his outfit and said all he did was work so he really only had work clothes. I loved his honesty. You see when I

went out with Eharmony guy I was in beauty school and was a nanny so I only had school uniforms and lounge clothes. No reason for anything else because it was ALL I did! I totally got it and loved that he told me that. (This is something i helped him change in the future:) We had another awesome date and he asked me out again. After date 3 I was smitten, but confused. You see between date 2-3 I had ANOTHER blind date and we will call him Branson (I met him there) and Branson was a charmer and a good dresser and was all I "thought" I wanted with the $$ and glam. Branson got my number and never called and I was so confused with 2 cool guys around and I was so worried I'd pick the wrong one. So I talked to a friend who said "Do ya like Jeremy?" and I said "well yes!" and she replied "well then date him!" You think this would be easy but it had been 9 years since I had a boyfriend and I was just worried I would do the wrong thing. I called Jeremy up that night and we had the DTR and we decided to try this. 

That was the freaking most single best ever decision I ever ever ever made. To get to know Mr.

Jeremy Sims.  You see in my mind I thought I needed a glam guy, the rock star, the super christian, the musician, someone with $$ and someone who has life figure out and possibly his own house and business. But I got WAYYYYYYY better. In my life I have an honest man, he cares about me and what I think and feel, he is a hard worker, he is a nerd and has introduced me to comics and movies I may have never seen. I have a man who is honest about his faith and struggles, someone who will put my desires before himself and someone who isn't all about shallow things and isn't so into himself he can't see anyone else. I have someone who tells me makeup and fake eyelashes are silly and he loves me fresh faced and right out of the shower clean without all the extra things. I have a man who will come sit and hug me if I am having a bad day or won't let a disagreement go on long at all. This man is strong in heart and he is a WONDERFUL friend. He is much more than I thought I wanted. Jeremy is so easy going and doesn't make me feel stupid or ugly EVER. He doesn't care what I wear or how I do my hair, he just loves me... he loves me in a way only a few of my dearest friends have. 

Fast forward 2 years (almost) and I am riding with some friends to meet Jeremy at the Convention Center where he works. We walk in and they say he will be out in a minute and they are gonna go walk to the restaurant and get a table. I'm just sitting there  waiting and all the sudden I hear music, "A thousand Years" by Christina Perri, I notice the wall next to me lights up, and another... It hits me something is going on and I can't even turn around. When I do I see the entire wall is dancing with photos of Jeremy and I and beautiful colors. I am so overwhelmed and I realize there is a video camera and I should probably stand up, but I am crying so hard I can't walk very far, It's like I feel the love so much I don't want to get to close it is overwhelming. Then the song ends and out walk Jeremy Sims looking amazing as ever and his chin in trembling. He tells me he never thought he would ever meet a girl like me and a few other things. Then as I am still crying, he gets down on one knee and says he would be honored if I would be his wife. I couldn't even talk, I nodded. He asked if that was a yes and I said YES! I couldn't even see the ring through my tears. We hugged and cried and it was such a beautiful moment to know this man wanted to spend his life with me... me.
I had to ask him to ask me again after I stopped crying so I could remember it better!

We walked over to the restaurant to meet up with our friends and as we came into the room there was my family, his family and our closest friends. My jaw DROPPED. I had NOOOOOOOOOOOOOo Idea and my heart was overwhelmed. There were cupcakes, hugs, photos and tears. 

I am beyond blessed and SO glad I waited. I am SO glad I didn't try and marry any other guy that I have liked. I am SO glad I have saved my whole heart and body for a man who loves me for me and who loves my family and cares so deeply for me. DO NOT EVER SETTLE. God has bigger plans and I'm so glad I was 32 when this amazing thing has happened to me.
God promised me something once when I was feeling so alone, I've told only a few people... He whispered in my ear "Mary Jane your story will be the biggest and the best." He keeps His promises. Even if it's 10 years later. :)
Here's to the future... God you rock.. no really. I'm gonna go listen to my song again and cry some more ;)

 

Weddings, Hair, Babies and Moving

Hello Internet land!

I haven't really put up anything in the blog for a while because I have been busy working a moving! I will post some photos of the new place once I actually get the place the way I want!

Here are a few photos of clients as of late. I got to take photos of SWEET FELIX who is turning 1 and used to be small enough to lay on that chair curled up! 
Also there are some photos of a pretty wedding I did in July at Garven Gardens. (Thanks to Chelsey M for working with me!) And last but not least a little hair I have gotten to play with!

Enjoy! - Mary Jane

 

 

This is how small he was 1 year ago! Ahhh!

 

Garven Gardens Wedding 

And here is a little hair I have been playing with!

Rachel's Winter Fund!

This is my dear friend Rachel.

In the fall of 2010 while she had just started teaching art at a new school she found out she had a golf sized tumor in the right frontal lobe of her brain. After a very hard surgery and many months of treatment and recovery she was back on her feet and going back to school for her Masters Degree. In the winter of 2012 she started not to feel well and found out that the tumor was back. After 2 more surgeries and a lot more treatments she is slowly healing. This illness has really taken a lot out of her, but it hasn't taken her fight or spirit.  Rachel is unable to work and enjoys much fewer things now but she loves to spend time with friends, see movies, eat out and see the beach! Rachel very much hates the cold and her mother Darla told me she would like to take Rachel to Florida for the month of January to keep Rachel well and her spirits up. They will be staying with friends but will need money for traveling expenses. If you would like to donate to brighten her healing and winter please click on the donate button below! If you need to donate another way please contact me, Mary Jane maryjanesparrow@yahoo.com :)

Thank you so much for your love and time from Rachel and Darla!

Aubree + Brian's Wedding

My Bestie Aubree got married! I feel like this is one of the cutest shoots I've done. Aubree is a great poser and her now hubby is so fun. I was blessed to be her Maid of Honor and run around and catch pics. I've known Aubree for about 5-6 years and we have always talked about "boys" when we hung out. She has become one of my closest friends and the sweetest person ever. Here are a few photos (ok, a bunch) from their day. - Mary Jane