Brittany & Tyler {a blinged-out, southern wedding}

Brittany & Tyler are such a cute couple! When they smile at each other, it lights up the room. And they are such good sports - up for anything life brings their way - like rain on the day we scheduled their engagement photos. They could have easily called me to reschedule. Instead, they laughed and smiled under their umbrella as we got some adorable engagement pictures.

Luckily, there was no rain on Brittany & Tyler's Big Day! The sun was shining, and jewels sparkled all around Brittany. From the detail on her wedding dress and her jewel-detailed bouquet - to the blinged-out wedding cake at her reception; Brittany's Wedding Day Sparkled - just like her love for Tyler.

Brittany & Tyler, I wish you a lifetime of love, happiness and shiny moments! 

The Big C {Look Good, Feel Better}

The American Cancer Society's Look Good, Feel Better Program helps cancer patients take the 'Ugly' out of Cancer.

Let's face it. Cancer is U-G-L-Y! But that doesn't mean the men and women battling cancer want to feel that way. The American Cancer Society has an amazing program where certified cosmetologists assist cancer patients with tricks to applying make-up to mask the side effects of cancer.

It is my absolute pleasure to serve as the publicity chair for our local Relay for Life. And I was so honored to spend an evening with the beautiful ladies of the Look Good, Feel Better program a few weeks ago at St. Elizabeth Hospital. The best part of this program - it is completely FREE to participants thanks to the fundraising efforts of The Relay for Life (The American Cancer Society's largest fundraiser.)

If you've never participated in the Relay for Life, visit acs.org to find the Relay for Life closest to you!

Thing One & Thing Two - Happy Birthday to You!

There are no words to express my complete disbelief that my twins are going to be one-year-old a week from today! This legitimately has been the fastest year of my life. I feel like someone pressed fast-forward! Thank goodness I have a wonderful family, like my mother, to remind me of major milestones that should occur in children's lives - like a baptism and a first birthday party.

My mom watched in horror as I looked through my girls' closet a few, short weeks ago for Bianca's old baptism gown so I could see if I could 'find something close enough to match.' "That simply will not do," my mom exclaimed - taking it upon herself to design and sew Brooklynn and Brylee two of the most beautiful baptism gowns ever! (Just one more reason I'm so lucky to have my mom!)

Looking at the calendar for a date for this blessed event posed a challenge - seeing that my daughters' were born in the height of wedding season. When I found out that my dad and grandmother could be here the weekend of Mother's Day, I thought it would not only be the perfect day for a baptism - I thought we should just roll everything into one and have a birthday party too!

I'd known for a long time that I wanted a Dr. Seuss Thing One & Thing Two party for my girls for a long time, but as the day approached I got a little caught-up in the theme. Adorable Dr. Seuss outfits, Dr. Seuss Happy Birthday To You sign-in books, Lorax moustaches and the most adorable cakes from Sugar Daddy's came together to make the day perfect!

And even though it poured buckets on us all day, it was pretty fitting considering that's what happens in Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat!

Baptism Gowns: Jane Adams (my amazingly, awesome mom)

Baptism: Williamstown United Methodist Church, Brother Barry Robinson

Birthday Outfits (Thing One & Thing Two): Seuss Land

Birthday Cakes: Sugar Daddy's

 

Kayse & Brandon {March 23, 2012}

Nobody was going to rain on Kayse & Brandon's parade...not even Mother Nature! 

There was no way around the fact that it rained (at some points even poured buckets) on Kayse & Brandon's wedding day. But I've never seen a more relaxed bride under the circumstances. We made the most of our weather limitations; and Kayce, Brandon and their entire wedding party were ready to run outside when we saw a break in the clouds - and that's saying something since the bride was healing a knee injury!

Kayce and Brandon are two of the most fun people I've ever met. Their smiles are contagious - just like their love for each other.

Here's to Happily Ever After! And I'll give you the same words of wisdom my sister gave me when it poured on my wedding day, "Every rain drop that falls on your wedding day is one less tear you'll shed in your marriage." I hope that turns out to be true for you guys!

Wedding ceremony & reception: Oasis Conference Center

Chaplain: Rev. Karen Heaster

Florist: Jones the Florist (Where the bride happens to create beautiful arrangements.)

Cake: DessertWorks Cakery

Jill & Jim {Engaged in Love}

I love Jill & Jim's love story...partly because it reminds me a lot of my own.

I'll never forget how nervous I was to tell my father that I was dating a man 16 years older than I was - not to mention the fact that he was raising two boys on his own.

I beat around the bush with my dad that night at dinner until I finally blurted out, "He's a little bit older than I am."

My dad smiled and quoted Leroy "Satchel" Paige by saying, "Sarah, Age is nothing but mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."

I'm happy to say that Chuck and I have been together almost nine years, and he's proud to say he can still work circles around me!

The driving force that brought us together - and keeps us together - is love!

Love sees no age, no past heart-ache, no obstacles. Love only sees...Love!

And love is what I see when I look at Jill & Jim. And I see how blessed they BOTH know they are to have found each other at this phase in their lives - when they were least expecting it. 

Jill & Jim, I'm so honored to be a little part of your BIG day! Enjoy every moment you have together, and always remember that other famous quote from Paige. “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you were?”