A Wedding Weekend in STL

It took me a whole week to recover from the four day wedding weekend extravaganza in St. Louis but it was absolutely worth it. My friend Tina married a wonderful guy last weekend and I had the honor of being a bridesmaid. It was one of the sweetest, most personalized weddings I have ever attended. From the groom's and groomsmen's ties to the tree stump cake stands, almost everything was handmade by either Tina, her Maid of Honor (Anastasia), or her father. It was fun to see all of their hard work come to life.

Unfortunately, I didn't take a single photo...we were busy from the second my plane touched down in St. Louis so here a few borrowed photos. 

Dan & Tina

One of the many handmade touches...coasters made by the father of the bride

Dan & Tina with cutout Dan & Tina...such a fun couple!

Such a crazy, busy, fun, beautiful weekend...I'm so happy I could be a part of the amazing celebration. Congratulations to such a great couple!

A New Year's Eve to Remember

I've always liked New Year's Eve but I've never felt the need to plan an elaborate night or throw the party to end all parties. I usually enjoy ringing in the New Year in my pjs, flipping back and forth between MTV and Dick Clark, Carson Daly, Ryan Seachrist or whoever else might be counting down that year. When I was little, all of my cousins and sisters would stay the night at my grandparents. We would play Spoons, dance and sing at the top of our lungs, oh and don't forget my Papa's chocolate malts!

This year was extra special, though. It was a night that was almost a year in the making. I was my little sister's Maid (well, technically 'Matron') of Honor! It was a beautiful night filled with family, friends, dancing, and of course, Kansas City barbecue...Jack Stack, yummm... The ceremony, dinner, and dance took place in the old loft space of The Berg in downtown Kansas City. It was the perfect setting for a NYE/winter themed wedding.

My sister and new bro-in-law, Rachel & Adam Beville

The flowers were amazing!!!

My sister Jill and her boyfriend Jake.
Jill caught the bouquet....sorry Dad!

Erik didn't want me to post any pictures of him because he didn't like any
so this is what you get...
me with my husband's profile

My sister Rachel was kind enough to let me make a beaded cuff bracelet for her big day. She said she completely trusted me with this project and I'm happy to say, I finished it on time and it looked great with her dress. It was definitely a labor of love and I'm so happy with how it turned out!

The beaded cuff tied around her wrist with dark blue ribbon.

And one more of my little sister!

The night was amazing...actually, the whole week leading up to it was amazing. My sisters and I haven't all been home together for that length of time in a few years. We usually only catch each other for a day or a weekend at best and even those quick trips home are becoming few and far between. As cheesey as it sounds...the best Christmas present I got this year was to spend New Year's Eve with those I love the most.

Happy New Year!