Pause.

Sometimes I just want to pause life. Say hold up, wait a minute. I want to sit down and enjoy this first month as newlyweds. To have more time for the gym, grocery store shopping, my business, our dogs and family. But apparently that's not how life works, there is no magic slow down button. I have so many emotions right now about being married, all of them positive, but it's slightly overwhelming. When I think about all the things Rob promised to me January 12th, I'm overwhelmed. Overwhelmed that the one person I love more than anything feels the exact same way about me. 

As I'm looking through all of our amazing wedding photos, I have moments where it doesn't even feel real. I got married in Italy... not even really sure how I managed to pull that off. I laugh so much with Rob and I never want us to stop laughing. I never want to fall into marriage stereotypes or fall victim to others expectations for us. With Rob it's been different from the beginning, he was this intangible crush, off limits, and now he is my husband. I fall asleep next to him every night and wake up to him every morning. When I write it all down it makes me drooling over a pair of Lululemon tights seem so silly. I've got what I've wanted most in life, a partner. 

After the wedding we all went to this amazing restaurant to eat. There was a toast made by Rob's dad, 'to whoever wins the first fight' ... I laughed at the time, because in my mind I'm thinking 'I'll always win'. A week later my mom jokingly asked who won and I remember thinking neither of us. Our one argument ended with us both apologizing for being jerks and I don't even remember how it started. Funny really. I want those kinds of arguments to be our only arguments. For times to stay simple and our biggest problems are motivating each other to go to the gym. I've got 11 more months to enjoy Rob being at home with me before deployment. In a way it seems like forever and in others it feels like he leaves tomorrow. Life is so good and I need to remember that. 

Views from My Desk // no. 2

A day late but still on track. Since last post I've had a little photoshoot, new supplies come in and some organization take place. All good over here in the studio and very inspiring.

Hope you all are having a wonderful Wednesday!

2013 Calendar

One day when I was reading my hero, Elise Joy,'s blog I came across this!! Which then led me to this website. Now I'm usually one to take on a digital project, I don't even even have Photoshop anymore, but this was just too good to pass up. I quickly purchased the digital template from Paislee Press and then edited it with Pixelmator.

I wanted it for my office so I added Indie & Chic products as well as everyday photos as well. I think only a few are actually from Instagram, but I love the effect they all have as a whole. I then bought a frame at Target, actually a 16x20 floating frame. Printing was done by Persnickty Prints, I love love love this company, also found through Elise Joy.

And there you have it. I pretty personal 2013 calendar, after 2013 I plan to cut the calendar up and use it for a r+s mini book featuring the monthly blog posts I do. Double the use!


Digital Template - Lilypad for Paislee Press // Printed with Persnickty Prints // Edited with Pixelmator // Frame from Target

Views from My Desk // no. 1

New feature every Tuesday, views from my desk. Reminds me of the project Kara Haupt inspired me to do back in 2010. 

As you can see the studio is still being put together, but I'm loving this space. I can't wait till it's fully functioning. I've got a few of my favorite wedding cards out to frame and lots of tools present as I hang things on the walls. The last photo is a custom order I finally completed, I made an extra because I loved the headband so much. I'm hoping to release 20 or so one of kind headbands in February. I love how each one becomes its own design, no matter if I use the exact same flowers. I love being able to mix colors and textures, floral bouquet headbands are just my favorite. The End.

The Want List // January

Shoes // Poster // Pillow // Sweater // Sign // Ring

Mr. & Mrs.

The wedding was beyond perfect, I couldn't have imagined it going better. My mom spent the night before with me, it was a very special time with my mom. I woke up that morning at 5:45am to start doing my hair. The morning was so surreal, Rob's mom came in to see me and give me a handkerchief from her mother. It was very touching and I ended up wrapping it around my bouquet. Rob's sister Amelia came in to take photos of me putting the dress on and it started hitting me what was about to happen. I desperately wanted to see Rob, but we agreed to wait until I was walking down the aisle.

The only interaction we had before the service was exchange notes in a doorway at the palace. We couldn't see each other at all, but we stood there reading our notes. It was a moment I'm very glad we have and I cried a lot. On the way to the church in Pisa, Rob wore a pillowcase so he couldn't see me. I'm pretty sure the town thought we were kidnaping someone. Once we arrived at the church I was beyond words. I hadn't seen the church in person and it was more than I could have dreamed. I couldn't believe I was about to get married there.

I waited at the end of the aisle with my mom. I remember her asking me if I was sure and that we could get away if I wasn't sure (I know she was just being a good mom). I replied, 'no I really like Rob' which made her laugh. I've never doubted that I was supposed to marry Rob. Once the music started I got pretty emotional, seeing Rob smiling at the end of that aisle was the sweetest. My mom handed me off and then the service was turned over to the Mayor of Pisa. He spoke in Italian and then our translator would recite the words in English. The Italian wedding articles hinted to equality and responsibility in the marriage, very different from a religious service. After we were officially pronounced Man and Wife, Rob's brother in law, Jason, came up and did our religious vows. Reciting those words back while looking in to Rob's eyes was my favorite moment of the wedding. We then got to kiss for a 2nd time and then the music started! We walked out to Signed, Sealed, Delivered, which was amazing.

We left the church and headed over to the leaning tower of Pisa, it was my first time seeing it and I was impressed. We ended up being the main tourist attraction there, and so many tourists kept taking photos of us or with us. I can't wait to see how those photos turned out!! After we all took a few hours to rest and then Amelia took some more photos of us in our Hotel, Palazzio Tucchi. I'm in love with all the photos I've seen so far, she makes me look as good as I felt that day.

That night we all met for a wedding dinner at Ostrella Barrella in Lucca. They had made us a wedding cake and we even took photos with the whole restaurant staff, I can't wait to send them the photo. I'm hoping when Rob and I go back one day our photo will be on their wall. The dinner was amazing. We laughed and took a few dozen polaroids. I'm loving being sisters with a photo junkie. During the dinner the whole restuarant started chanting something in Italian and then we stood up and every one clapped. It was pretty amazing. I want to freeze the dinner in time.

After dinner we went out for one last photo shoot with Amelia and Jason. We had been drinking so it was pretty hilarious. Amelia's husband Jason became assistant, fog machine and photoshoot DJ. We had a blast and it was great view into the rest of our lives with those two!! I have no idea how Amelia got anything done during that hour, because she was the only one being serious. She probably wanted to kill us all, but she is magician behind the camera. I was pretty speechless when I saw what she captured. I'll be her biggest fan until the end of time, both on the sister end and the photographer end.

And that my friends was our wedding day. More than any girl can hope for and I'm so happy to be a part of a new family. I'm a very lucky girl.

Please be sure to check out Amelia's company Bound By and let her know how awesome she is!

I'm Married!!!

We were married at 10am in Italy, so that's about 3a.m. central time. I'll post details of the day as soon as I can! **Top is from our engagement shoot and bottom is from yesterday walking in Lucca.**

An Italian Wedding // The Church & The City

Photo from Distinctive Italian Weddings

Originally, I had picked Lucca, Italy for the wedding. However, after talking with our Italian wedding planner, using a church there wasn't going to be an option (Rob & I aren't Catholic). The other option was to use a wedding hall in Lucca, but the more I looked at photos from other brides the more I wanted another option. Wedding halls in Lucca are beautiful, that wasn't the issue, but you had to sit down in chairs during the wedding. Plus, there was no aisle you could be walked down.

So after many e-mails back and forth we found an old abbey in Pisa, Italy. Just 15 miles from Lucca. The abbey or church San Zeno was perfect for our needs. We still would have to have a civil union performed by the Mayor, but we could add out own religious vows. We also had an aisle to walk down and could play our own music. I was sold.

An Italian Wedding // New Plans

So originally we wanted the whole wedding to be a surprise, but the moment that ring went on my finger everyone wanted details (read our engagement story here). When? Where? How soon? Church? Small? Big? Not to mention all the opinions and advice I got. It was so hard to basically lie to people's faces about not knowing about a date or our plans. I think both families didn't think about that beforehand and it started wearing on us. We made a group decision that people needed to be told about Italy and that Friday night became the last of my sanity.

Engagement parties were planned. A shower. So many people were so happy and excited for us, I'm so glad I was able to change gears and not miss those three months. I put an announcement in the paper, Rob and I registered at a few stores and then the weeks went by like normal. I remember it wasn't until the week before December that it all started to hit me. I was getting married... to Rob! The final dress fitting was what really made it all real. I had my whole ensemble put together and my hands were shaking so badly. I was getting nervous, happy nerves. I finally felt like a bride.

An Italian Wedding // The Dress

My first dress appointment came 10 days after the whole wedding was decided. I had no engagement ring and no one in town could know what was going on. Rob and I both have families that everyone knows, so this was a pretty hard secret to keep.

Our first stop was a boutique called The Carriage House. The shop is a small little house that was converted into a dress store, and I've driven past it for over a decade. They always have the most amazing dresses in the window. Mom and I snuck into the shop praying no one saw us and I was so nervous I thought I was going to faint. Here I was trying on wedding dresses!!!

We could only choose from a fraction of the dresses because of our 4 month time frame. So we walked through the shop pulling dresses I thought I might like. The first one I tried on was absolutely perfection. I was pretty sure it was the one.

first dress - didn't make the cut

 We tried on two other that I absolutely hated. Then I asked if there were any other dresses in the same style as the first. My fourth dress took my breath away. It was everything I was envisioning for a winter Italian wedding and the sash they paired with it was so me I could't even believe it. Right there we purchased it and toasted with champagne.

the "something blue" sash (dress not mine)

One dress shop. Four dresses. And then we were done with the dress drama. Getting a dress from a local shop was really special, even more special was that my best friend Vicki had gotten her dress there too. So I knew that would be something we could share for the rest of forever.... but I couldn't tell her just yet.

Dress // Alyne   Sash // Augusta Jones "Something Blue" sash