Wedding Wednesday: Coronado Nuptials

This Wedding Wednesday is especially near and dear to my heart, as Bianca is one of my very best friends in the world. I was lucky enough to stand up next to her as she married Bobby, a day I won't soon forget. Not only was this the first wedding I've been in, it's also the first of a string of weddings that will happen in the next year for some of my favorite ladies. The wedding age is finally upon me, and I'm thrilled!

Bianca hosted the sweetest bridesmaid brunch for all of us bridesmaids. We drank mimosas and celebrated the final moments of her singledom. Mini doughnuts may have happened. I mean at that point, your bridesmaid body isn't going to change...right? Might as well indulge! We all stayed together the night before the wedding, and let me tell you, waking up with your best friend on her wedding day is one of the most amazing things in the world. The girl was glowing.

We all got ready together in the suite. Girls in robes, blow dryers whirring and the tipsy giggles of delicious mumm champagne filled the room. Bobby impressively sent over a stack of wedding day presents, all wrapped in custom weiner dog wrapping paper with her pup's name "milo" stamped all over it. Even better? Inside one of the well wrapped boxes was the gorgeous Rifle Paper Co. recipe box! Gah! I just love that thing.

The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. It was held in a small catholic church on the island. The room was filled with 300 members of Bianca & Bobby's relatives, friends, close family and more adorable kids than you could imagine! I wish I had more photos, but that would have been odd up there with a camera.

My mom and Chris were out there cheering on the new couple, which was an amazing feeling knowing they cared enough about my friend to make themselves available to be there.

The magical evening ended with all kinds of cake, a moo time gelato cart, and the grand finale - lanterns. It was absolutely perfect. My heart is still so full of love for Bianca & Bobby. Congratulations!

...

{milestones}

The other night Chris & I were discussing milestones, in friendships and relationships and the different ways the present themselves. Milestones with friends are often large celebrated events, days you look forward to reaching like 16th birthdays, 21st drink-a-thons, graduations, weddings...you get the idea.

I got to thinking, do relationship milestones encompass these events, and more? Or do those traditional bumps in the road get swapped for less recognized, more intimate events, like leaving for the first day of a new job, trips with just the two of you, anniversaries, promotions and small victories. 

 {1. me at 19 - summertime in Pullman before recruitment week my Jr. year at WSU}

{& 2. me at 20 - a trip to Las Vegas when I was still under 21 and STILL a blast}

Chris and I recently celebrated our 3 year anniversary, and it got me thinking a lot about the moments I remember most, that I hold closest to my heart. It caused me to flip through my old photos, where I stumbled on a couple of gems I thought I'd share from back then & now.

And when it comes to milestones, I guess I fall somewhere in between.  Surviving almost 2 1/2 years of a long-distance relationship, there are things the other person is bound to miss, and you get used to that. It's probably better that he missed my 21st birthday...(and the 2-day hangover that followed), but a small part of me wishes he could have made it for my graduation.

But there are so many things that surpass those days, in my own order of importance. Like standing at Versailles, staring at the gleaming golden gate that surrounds the château, or watching the twinkle of the Eiffel Tower when the clock strikes 11 p.m. Like celebrating my offer letter to work full time at the agency, the two adventure of a day roadtrip to bring my car to AZ from Seattle, or eating pizza in our sweats on Valentine's day.

Being there for my friends to support them during the milestones that occur in their lives is extremely important to me, because there aren't as many of those events they need me for. 

I also think it's more of a tribute to my love of love, that the smallest shared moments mean more, in a different way. And that is how I think love should always be. My thoughts on love exactly, put more beautifully than I could muster:

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. 

I love you simply, without complexities or pride; 

I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, 

in which there is no I or you, 

so close that your hand upon my chest is my hand, 

so close that when I fall asleep your eyes close. 

-Pablo Neruda

Happy anniversary boyfriend!

I can't wait to share the photos from our fun evening! :)

{things I love}

 I love:

• Saturday mornings.
• Waking up early with a whole day of nothing to do.

• When your boyfriend makes you breakfast even though most days he pretends he doesn't know his way around a kitchen at all.
• And when that breakfast is crepes.
• And they are delicious.

• When all you have to worry about is sitting there. 
• With no makeup, in your sweats, enjoying.
• (Picture to follow. Beware..puffy eyes & no makeup!)

• And then you feel energized enough to take on the rest of the day.
• Which happens to be a trip to your most favorite place.
• A place of dreams & happiness.

• And you get to wander around the showrooms.
• And somehow your boyfriend doesn't complain about how long you are taking.
• And you make mental notes of all the new items you are coming back to buy when you are alone and won't be judged.

• When you find super cheap decor that will fit perfectly in that awkward gap above your kitchen sink that you have been puzzled about what to do with for months. 
• Then you head home to spend the remainder of the afternoon on a new obsession, Pinterest. 
• And the weather is nice, so you rearrange your furniture.
• And your boyfriend comes home with Resident Evil 2 for Playstation, and you stay up to play until 2 a.m.
• And you laugh every time one of you screams when a very outdated and pixelated  zombie or giant tarantula jumps out from a corner. 
• And you realize you're not very good at boy videogames. 

I love the weekend. 

{When the moon's in the sky like a big pizza pie}

Some tidbits from Chris & my Valentine's day(s) :)

1. Leon the love pup 2. Vday dinner from Gus's 3. That's Amore 4. Sweet card from a wonderful long-time friend - thanks Kenz! 5. Homemade cupcakes with heart toppers 6. Place settings 7. Special occasion wine 8. Gift bags 9. Key 10. Cupcakes on parade 11. & 12. Love buttons 13. Scavenger hunt gifts 14. Surprise flowers at work 15. 'pasta fazool' 16. Homemade garlic love knots

 Appreciating a certain someone more than ever.

Hope you all had a wonderful love filled day!

❤ ❤ ❤

{pink&red}

Valentine's day is here!

I love the over-use of reds & pinks, the sweet cards, the chocolate, the feeling of overwhelming love with people in your life (romantic or otherwise!), the mushy notes and poems, the hearts, the sparkles, the crafts, the baking and everything that has to do with this holiday! 

My first craft of the Valentine's season (yes, I have the power of stretching it out over an obnoxious amount of time) was for my lovely friend Ashlyn.

I always like to give themed presents, so her bridal shower was no exception.

She and her hubby-to-be are getting married next weekend, and their anniversary is on V-day. 

I wish the photos had turned out better, but I was rushing out the door and it was the last thing on my mind! My V-day inspired basket included all things baking for their new home.

The basket included:

Heart-shaped cupcake pan, Wilton

Heart-shaped pancake mold, World Market (like this, only hearts!)
Mini red ramekins, World Market
Heart Flutes, World Market
Heart-shaped cookie cutter
&
a jar of red velvet cake mix

I also made this card, with the help of the wonderful Cierra and her Friday freebies card/poster prints. I found this one here!

{the big announcement}

so...

I have big news.

Big changes in my life...

exciting adventures...

big risks, hopefully with big turnouts...

{terrible iPhone shot, me and my new ASU gear}

I'm moving to Arizona!

(gasp! shock! wow! second gasp of disbelief!)

This week is my last week in the beautiful city of Seattle that I have grown up around, and come to really love in the last few years. I will be saying goodbye to my wonderful mother/roommate, my fabulous friends, my brilliant dad, my coworkers, my comfort, and my all expenses paid apartment (food too! thanks mom!) to pick up and move to Phoenix, AZ.

{Bahaha proof he puts up with me}

My reasoning?

1. The boyfriend and I have been doing long distance for entirely too long. So hey, might as well try something new right?

2. I have the opportunity to do an awesome PR internship at an agency that I have been oogling at for quite some time.

3. Hello sun tan, where have you been all my life.

So that is my big exciting news. I can't wait. So many new things to blog about, new features, stuff to check out, friends to make, sweating to do (uh 110 degrees every day? crap.), and exploring to conquer. 

So this is Chris. 

He is 23, smarter than he knows, and on occasion makes me laugh. He is kind, a wonderful writer, and his only major flaw is his dislike of chocolate/coffee (blasphemy).  He recently graduated from Arizona State University, and is going back in the fall to begin his next degree in business /supply chain-ness (which most students cringe at the idea of...more years in school? Crazy man). 

He wishes I liked sports more, and thinks I am WAY funnier than he will ever admit.

He also takes me to frozen yogurt whenever I want, 

and only slightly judges my coffee addiction.

He lets me watch 'Say Yes to The Dress',

and will try at least one bite of anything I cook.

{the question is...what did I do now?!}

I think I did okay:). 

{well hello}

I'm baaaaack!

Back to Seattle. Back to blogging. Back to friends. Back to the parents. Back to stormy and rainy Seattle weather. Back to my summer job. Back to my cluttered room that could have used a spring clean about 5 years ago. But mostly, back to normal & familiar.

I have certainly been on quite an adventure from my last post until now, and I am sure that every inch of this adventure will be posted on this blog in the coming future. Only the most exciting stuff of course, but I cannot promise a sane minimal amount of Europe gushing. It will be plentiful. But to recap my life since April 19th...

My best friend Lauren celebrated her 22nd birthday, which was filled with coconut cupcakes, parties, dinners, and a very special mug which so wisely states 'sleep is for the weak'. Picked out by yours truly.

My life was suddenly filled with an over abundance of lady bugs. In my apartment, landing on my sunglasses, on my doorstep, my shoulder in class, at the office, etc. It was random and I loved it.

{Spotted: hiding on the screen}

I struggled through a hard couple of weeks at the end of the semester, an even harder finals week and then suddenly it was over! We celebrated. Hence the celebratory mustaches.

We did it! The celebrations continued. A couple of weepy nights, a lot of laughs, reminiscing about the best memories, shaking our heads at the worst, reading our freshmen year letters to our future selves, hugs, with not a single regret we said our goodbyes...

and GRADUATED!

So I packed up my things, said goodbye to our apartment, and left early in the morning. Well, attempted to leave early in the morning. We ran into one small hitch when my Ikea bed did not end up being as compact as we had measured. So at 6AM the morning after graduation, you could find me and my dad standing over an Ikea frame, in a parking lot, outside of our U-haul looking so very puzzled. Clearly my education paid off.

Once disassembled, (yay dad!) we hit the road. Two days in Seattle, unpacking and repacking, and I was off to Arizona to see the boyfriend graduate, mini side trip to Vegas, BBQing, and hanging out with his family. And then...

EUROPE!

16 days.

9 plane rides.

3 countries.

5 cities.

more croissants than I will ever admit

&

the best trip I've ever been on.

{RevRunWisdom}

For everyone who is not following Rev Run on Twitter...I suggest you start. The man says great things.

Here is my recent favorite, even if he is quoting from someone else "A true friend is someone who sees the pain in ur eyes while everyone else believes the SMILE on ur face (Tyrese Gibson)"

My two weekends of visitors have unfortunately come to an end, and this quote seemed quite appropriate to wrap it up. Not to be mushy, but I am quite thankful for the people in my life I can call friends. They really make me happy.

{me and devin outside of the airport}

{our matching ink}

{boyfriend}

{hello cupcake, be mine}

I love valentines day. The one day a year that pink & red look good together, love is everywhere, it is assumed you will watch sappy love movies all day, and there are no judgements on overeating chocolate.


Whether you have a love to spend the day with or not (cats, mothers and best friends are ALWAYS allowed), it is a great day to celebrate love!

Therefore I am dedicating the rest of my weeks blog posts to all this love-ish.