Red White and Blue Wedding Stationary

 

When I design wedding invitations, they're usually done months and months in advance (which is wise, of course, when planning a wedding). I love that I get to be part of the "insider" planning stage and work behind the scenes to help set the tone for such a special day. BUT, that means that I have to wait months and months to see how everything comes together at the actual event. I really look forward to seeing photos of the wedding ceremony, the venue and of course the bride and groom! 

I couldn't wait to see Anderson and Collin's wedding pictures and see their dream realized, after having just a small glimpse through their invitations. And I've never even met them in person! My heart skipped a beat when I saw their images, captured by the incredibly talented Michal-Kathryn Photography. I can't thank her enough for recommending me to the happy couple, and for graciously allowing me to share a few of the photos. 

It was so much fun designing an all American wedding themed invitation set. A combination of red, white, and blue, lace, political/ballot style and rustic barn wedding, all rolled into one. My kind of project! 

They also requested campaign buttons to hand out at the reception, which was a really fun piece to design. How cute are these?!

Such a beautiful couple and wedding party! Congratulations Anderson and Collin! It was a pleasure working with you.

Images by: Michal-Kathryn Photography

2016 Summer Ohlympics

10 Points to the person who can find what's wrong with my super fancy Ohlympics sign. 

You guys. Summer. 

It's the middle of August and it's been HOT around here. We've been playing outside, going to parks, staying inside in the air conditioning (SO thankful for that!), and spending some time with family. We recently made a trip to Pennsylvania for our annual summer visit and took part in our own little OHLYMPICS - see what I did there? 

Poppi set up his world-famous slip and slide in the front yard and the fun began!

Complete with a cushy spectator area, 4-wheel rides and a kiddie pool. 

It was nice just hanging out and visiting with each other. I cannot get over how grown up our nieces are. Slow down, time! 

Marshall enjoyed playing outside, investigating the garage (of course) and riding the big wheels. He's one cool guy!

I wish I took a few more group shots, but sometimes it's better to enjoy the moment and not be snapping photos left and right. Thank you, Laura for this awesome pic of Marshall with his sunglasses!

We got to see the newlyweds, David and Elsa, too!

This photo of the three cutest little cousins, is my favorite. I wanted to recreate the picture we took last summer when Marshall was just 6 months old.

I can not get over the difference ONE YEAR has made and how much they've all grown! Eeeek! This whole time passing thing is surreal. 

I hope you're all enjoying these days of summer. Savor every last bit. I cringe when I see back to school ads appear in July (or earlier) and see hints of fall approaching. Even though it's been ridiculously hot for us lately, I'll still take this over snow in  heartbeat! Get out there and enjoy some sun!  

Ocean City, MD Vacation

Hello and happy summer! I hope you're enjoying my favorite time of year as much as I am. 

We celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary on July 9th (9 years already??), by taking a road trip to Ocean City, Maryland, with some additional stops and sites along the way. It was so good to get away from the daily workweek routine and kick back and relax. We had a great time! 

We packed up and hit the road. While driving, we saw the most beautiful rainbow - end to end. It reminded us of God's promises and we took it as a sign that this was going to be a good trip. 

We stayed one night in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (AKA Amish country) to break up the drive. We found an adorable retro 50's diner for lunch and stopped to check out an outlet mall. 

We drove on to our destination, Ocean City, MD. When we arrived at our (pink!) hotel, we were pleasantly surprised with our balcony view of the ocean. We couldn't wait to hit the beach! 

Sitting under an umbrella with my toes in the sand is exactly what I was looking forward to. We soaked up the sun and enjoyed the ocean waves as long as we could. I wish I could go back there! 

At night we walked the boardwalk and got some sweet treats. You never know who you'll meet! I couldn't resist getting a photo with a minion. Maybe this was Dave? 

We got to enjoy some delicious seafood. My husband took on the all-you-can-eat crab challenge at O.C. Steamers. It took him about an hour and a half to eat this pile. So. Much. Work! The view during sunset was worth it. 

Our last night there was probably my favorite. We ate dinner at a restaurant called Hooked, played mini-golf at Medieval Faire, followed by my FIRST Rita's Water Ice. The latter was life changing. How has my Pennsylvania family never taken me there in 9 years? No excuse. They have a Gelati, which layers your choice of custard with your choice of flavored ice. I had chocolate vanilla twist with strawberry mango ice. Where have you been all my life? 

The fun continued as we drove to Baltimore for the remainder of our vacation. Andrew was excited to take me the harbor, which was walking distance from our hotel. Speaking of hotels, can I just mention that Sheraton's are by far my favorite hotel. If you have the choice to stay at one, you won't regret it. I've stayed at Sheraton's in Connecticut, New York City and now Baltimore and they are always so comfortable, beautiful, classy, stylish, professional and they pump their lobby and elevations with the most glorious scent called "welcoming warmth." True story. I wish I could bottle that stuff up and fill my house with it! And the linens and fluffy pillows! 

After watching the end of the World Cup game, we walked to Little Italy and ate a delicious dinner. The weather was HOT. 

The highlight of our time in Baltimore was seeing the Yankee's play the Oriels. This was my first MLB game! It was so exciting. We got to see Jeeter and everything. I was impressed by the enormity of the stadium! Unfortunately, during the 5th inning it started to thunder and lightening and there was no way the game could continue. We were so disappointed! They called the game in favor of the Oriel's. I really wish we could have seen them finish the game, but it wasn't meant to be. 

The next morning, before making our drive back home, we went to the Baltimore Aquarium. There was so much to see! Sharks, turtles, exotic fish, dolphins, and my new favorite, jellyfish. I was so amazed just watching the jellyfish swim and float around. God's creation is absolutely stunning! 

Then, sadly, it was time to go home. On the road again. But not without getting Chick-Fil-A! All good things must come to an end. 

It was wonderful much needed time spent away. I'm so thankful we got to take this vacation, see new places and spend time together. I usually don't like to "brag", but my husband really is the best. He planned this trip, coordinated everything and went out of his way to make me happy. I love him more than words can express. I am one very lucky and very blessed girl!