We Want to Know: Beauty

This week's focus is on beauty. I wish I had better answers, but I'm not exactly a beauty junkie. I love clothes and makeup and all that, but only if I can buy it for practically nothing. (Like the SUPER cute jacket I got yesterday for $9!)

1. What is your "can't go without it" beauty product/cosmetic?

If I oversleep and need to run out the door in two minutes or am just feeling lazy, I usually smudge on some concealer and mascara.

2. Do you apply make-up before or after doing your hair?

I guess before, but I don't really do my hair. Seriously, I don't even brush it because that makes it poofy. I go to bed with it wet, run some product over it in the morning, and I'm done.

3. How would you describe your personal style?

Lazy/busy mom chic? Even though I work in a somewhat high up office in state government, we have a casual dress code. I'm always in jeans (or my new chorduroys) and flats. On top, it's usually a cardi or some sort of embellished tee and maybe some jewelry to fancy it up a bit. I love clothes, but I love comfort more.

4. How long goes it take you to get ready each day?

I always shower at night because I get up at 6 (or 6:20) and need to be out the door by 6:45. In that time, I dress myself and Logan, put on my makeup, brush three sets of teeth, make sure Logan has his lunch and backpack, get everyone's coats on, and pile all my clowns into our little car. So, I don't know, maybe 10 minutes of that might be spent making myself up. I have it down to a science: concealer, eyeshadow, eyelash curler, mascara, eyebrow pencil, blush, and done. It sounds like a lot but I don't really do anything fancy for work, so I can get through it pretty fast.

5. What is your one pamper, just for you, beauty splurge?

I really don't splurge on beauty products. I never spend more than $8-10 on makeup (hello Covergirl and Maybelline) and rarely even that much because I just wait for sales. I use Pantene Brunette Expressions shampoo and conditioner - usually around $5 each. I've tried more expensive hair products but they always suck and then I'm mad about having wasted the money on them. I DO use Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm - it was about $16 - but I guess it can't really be considered a splurge since it's lasted me over a year. I don't get manis or pedis. I dye my own hair with Revlon Colorsilk in Medium Auburn - around $3 on sale. Again, I've tried pretty much every brand but nothing else has made my hair as shiny, soft and vibrant as colorsilk. I read some survey in a beauty magazine that named it the #1 home coloring product, so apparently I'm not the only one who knows how awesome it is. Also, I get my hair cut at our local SuperCuts every 4-6 months or so. Right after Viv was born, I was in need of a cut and seriously low on cash, so I went there out of desperation. My stylist was amazing and the cut she gave me was at least equal to if not better than my previous cut from a fancy spa and salon that nearly bankrupted me. I think I only spent $30 at SuperCuts. Needless to say, I've never gone to anyone else since.

I'm probably making myself sound like a hot mess, which may sometimes be true, but I'm generally pretty pulled together. I bathe and shave regularly and never leave the house in pajamas (anymore). I might not be super stylish or trendy, and I certainly don't spend a lot of money on clothes or cosmetics, but I think I look pretty good and my husband has no complaints. In the end, as long as you feel confident - which I do most days - that's all that matters.

This week's questions were fun! Check out Mamarazzi, Crazymama, and Alicia aka Queso to link up your own answers!

WWTK - Late and Wrong

It's Thursday, but I love this week's questions, so I'm posting my We Want To Know Wednesday a day late. Better late than never, right? As always, I'm linking up with Mamarazzi, Crazymama, and Alicia aka Queso - you should check them out!

1. Do you shop til you drop, or are you in and out as soon as possible?

It depends on whether or not the kids are with me. I LOVE to shop so I can go until my feet hurt if I don't have a cart full of whiners.

2. Are you a price conscious shopper?

Oh, yes! I have rules against paying full price for anything, and sometimes even the sale price isn't low enough to warrant a purchase (like the adorable Missoni for Target baby pea coat I passed on that was still $27 on clearance - we did, however pick up the adorable hat and mittens for $11).

Cute, but not $27 for a baby purchase cute.

3. What store could you spend HOURS in?

Target, Once Upon a Child (our local kids' consignment store that has racks and racks and racks of stuff that take FOREVER to sort through), and - ok I'm being totally honest here - Goodwill. Our Goodwill is awesome and gets a TON of Target overstock, so I stop in at least once a week to see what they have. Today I'm wearing a beautiful kelly green blouse that looks very Banana Republic, but I paid $3.50 for it at Goodwill and it was still brand new with tags. Score!!!! No shame in my bargain shopping game!

4. What is the most frivolous purchase you've ever made?

I don't even know. I usually talk the husband into buying me frivolous things, like the two pairs of $40 chorduroys from Kohl's that I HAD TO HAVE in addition to the $40 cardigan. (Though, do clothes really count as frivolous purchases?) It went something like this when I got home from shopping "Babe, I got some stuff that you can give me for Christmas, ok?" "That's fine." And then he wrote me a check. My husband is the best!

5. What was the last thing you bought for yourself?

Probably the pretty kelly green blouse that I'm wearing today. No, I take that back, I picked up a pretty top at JC Penney's this weekend for $25. It's more than I'd usually spend, but it was on sale and I really liked it. Besides, I really need more fall/winter clothing.

My new shirt - the color is sooo much prettier in person.

WWTK - TMI

Because I feel totally braindead and I'm having trouble focusing on what I SHOULD be doing, I'm instead linking up with  Crazymama, Mamarazzi, and Queso for We Want to Know Wednesdays. 

  

1. When was the last time you lost your temper?

Probably last night on the car ride home when Vivienne was screaming at the top of her lungs just because she can and Logan was joining in because he figured she was doing it so he should be able to as well, right? Oh, and I was on the phone (hands-free, of course, because it's the law).

2. What 3 words best describe you?
Impulsive, passionate, and awkward.

3. What movie could you watch over and over again and never get tired of?
Empire Records - love all of the music and can pretty much quote the entire movie
Across the Universe - I like to sing along and Evan Rachel Wood is breathtaking
The Breakfast Club - again, I can quote pretty much the entire thing and Molly Ringwald is breathtaking

4. If you could do something dangerous, just once, with no risk, what would you do?
I honestly don't know . . . fly a plane? Does that count as dangerous? I feel like it should since I don't actually know how to fly.

5. Which is more important, intelligence or common sense?
Without a doubt, common sense. I know a lot of highly intelligent dummies. Book smarts might serve you well in school, but won't get you far in life.

Buff Mama Monday - My First 5k

A few months ago, in an effort to get back in shape and knowing that I would need a better motivating force than "getting skinny", I registered for a 5k and started the Couch to 5k program. Unfortuantely, because I'm a slacker and I refuse to run in 90 degree weather, I was only about half-way through the program the week before my race (in other words, no where NEAR ready). Luckily, my amazingly athletic friend Claire, took me out for a few 3 mile runs (except her "3 mile runs" are actually 3.6 miles - she just lies and tells you they're shorter) to help me get ready. The runs were really hard but she is an excellent motivator: extremely positive but also really pushed me. She got me through hell week and ran beside me through the actual race. She tracked our pace to keep us on target and told me repeatedly how great I was doing (apparently I'm a high-maintenance runner). I'm not going to lie and tell you that it was "fun" or that I "had a blast", because in truth, it sucked. My legs hurt, I could hardly breathe, it was hot, and I spent at least an hour afterwards feeling pretty certain that I was going to vomit at any moment. All that aside, 38 minutes and 10 seconds later I finished - something I thought I would never do - and I'm really glad I did it. Once the nausea passed and I started to regain feeling in my lower extremities, I was overwhelmed by such an amazing feeling of accomplishment. In fact, I'm already planning my next race (most likely in October). What made this even better for me was getting to do it with two really great friends who I don't see nearly often enough, so hopefully they're both on board for the next run!

In typical girl fashion, we took pictures pre-race. . .

Claire, Shannon, and me

I swear I am not some kind of giant - I'm only 5'5" - I just have really small friends.

In case all the pink didn't tip you off that this was a breast cancer run . . .

These are our "game faces".

Totally unplanned, we all showed up with gray and pink shoes with pink laces.

I'm linking up with Vanessa at The Crafty Nest for Buff Mama Monday since she's also doing Couch to 5k and we mamas have to stick together! I came across Vanessa's blog through The Bump Birth Month message boards while we were both pregnant with our August babies and I've been hooked ever since. She's mama to handsome little Logan (an amazing name choice) AND she's super crafty, so you should go check her out!



WWTK - Boob Tube Q&A

Linking up once again with Mamarazzi and Alicia for We Want to Know Wednesday Q&A. This week we're talking about TV!

1. What is your MUST SEE show?

Glee! No question! I freaking love all those little gleeks! This season I'm especially excited to see the winners of The Glee Project. Ok, being totally honest, I'm really just excited to see Samuel Larsen. He's "all the way beautiful" as Jim Carrey would say. I wonder if he likes older women...

2. What shows are you most excited to watch this season?

Glee, Sons of Anarchy, Tosh.0, Awkward, Big Bang Theory, 2 Broke Girls, and New Girl. Mostly, we dvr everything and watch it on the weekends while the kids nap.

3. How many hours a week do you actually watch tv?

I think it depends on the week. We watch all of those above shows plus random stuff whenever we have down time (which is rare). 10 maybe?

4. Do you think tv has gotten too "racy" (vulgar, pushing the limit, etc) ?

I'm not opposed to racy shoes, provided they come on much later. Hello, I watch Sons of Anarchy. I don't like that there are so many adult cartoons that come on earlier in the evening. My husband loves American Dad and Family Guy but it's hard to explain to Logan why he can't watch cartoons with Daddy. Of course, hubs could always just dvr that stuff and watch it later, but I think he's way less concerned about monitoring Logan's tv viewing than I am.

5. How many tvs do you have in your house?

I'm actually embarassed to say. We have 4. Two downstairs, one in our room, and one in Logan's. The 2 downstairs both have the digital cable so we can watch grown-up stuff and the kids can watch all the special kid channesl with Bubble Guppies and Blues Clues. Our room is hooked up to cable but just the basic 60-some channels, which are pretty much all I ever watch anyway. Logan has a tv in his room, but no cable because it's just for movie-watching. He's afraid of the dark so we usually put a movie on for him when he goes to bed and just set the timer for 15 minutes. It's enough light to keep him calm and he's usually passed out before it turns off. Bonus: We never battle at bedtime when he knows he can pick out a movie!



Finally, check Princess Vivienne out over at Rae Gun Ramblings today. I ordered a beautiful custom ruffled diaper cover from Marissa's for Viv's birthday outfit and now she's featuring our princess in her Customer Appreciation post. For the record, I LOVE the diaper cover and everyone at the part commented on how adorable it was. Marissa also makes matching onesies, costumes, and sets for boys too! Check out her Etsy Shop Rae Gun for all kinds of adorable stuff!

IF

I saw this post over at K. Law Inspired and then read her inspiration post from Life After I "Dew" and felt like joining the party. I've stolen all of their prompts because my brain is barely functional this week.

• If I were to get pregnant again, it would hopefully not be for at least another year, maybe two. We'd like Vivienne and the next baby to be closer in age than our first two but the fewer years we spend paying daycare for two, the better! We're really hoping for another little princess and have already decided on the name Gemma.

• If I had to eat one type of food every day for the rest of my life, it would be home-style, does that count as a type of food? If not, then I say Italian, but really I'd rather have pot roast and mashed potatoes or fried chicken.

• If I could have any job in the world I'd be a stay-at-home mom. Maybe. Or I might want to do something more creative. My problem is that I still really don't know what I want to do with my life which is why I haven't gone back to school yet. I'm really not sure if I'll ever figure that out. It's something that keeps me up at night.

• If I had a day to myself I'd go get a massage, see a movie (if Crazy, Stupid Love is still playing), and then do a little just-for-me shopping. That's actually what I had planned for last weekend but it all fell through. I'm still hoping to make it happen next weekend since this weekend is already booked.

• If I could get married all over again I'd try to step back and take it all in a little more. Planning and hosting your own wedding is really stressful and it's too easy to get caught up in making sure everything is perfect. That's what happened to me and  I feel like I missed out on a lot while I was busy organizing everything. I wouldn't change any of the details of our wedding, but I would probably ask people to help out more so I could just relax and enjoy the day.

• If I could live anywhere in the US I'd probably chose somewhere around the Carolinas. Kyle and I talk about this all the time. We want to stay on the east coast, preferably in or near a beach town. Far enough south that it's at least warm-ish year round but not so far south that we fry in the summer. I told him I just want to go far enough south that we can have a palm (or 10) in our yard.

• If Logan had been a girl, his name would have been Leila/Layla - I hadn't decided on which spelling. If Vivienne were a boy her name would have been Tristan if my husband had his way or Dominic if I'd had mine.

• If I could have any talent in the world I would like to be able to dance, sing, or play the guitar. Or really I'd take any combination of the three.

• If money were not an object I'd be one of those stay at home moms who has a housekeeper and maybe an occasional nanny so I could still do things by myself every now and then. Also, I would need a hairdresser because I suck at doing my hair. If it would be possible to find a housekeeper who loves kids and went to beauty school, that would be ideal.

• If I could meet one celebrity I think I would want to meet Angelina Jolie. Don't hate me. I can't help it, I just love her. She's beautiful and elegant, but I love that she has a shady weirdo past. I just kind of think she's amazing in every way and I think our kids would get along great. As babies, Logan and Shiloh were practically twins and since she likes to dress up as a boy and he likes to dress up as a girl, they could just trade clothes and be besties. Oh, and we both have Viviennes so we obviously both have amazing taste.

• If I could only shop at one store for the rest of my life it'd be Target. They have literally everything and I actually love all of their stuff. Besides, we already do practically all of our shopping there, so it wouldn't really be any different from what we do now.

• If we got a dog I would love to have another pitbull, but no way would hubs allow that, so I'd take a pit/chihuahua mix. Don't laugh, it's a really thing! It's called a pithuahua and it's pretty much the cutest thing on 4 tiny legs. Also, they're so teensy that he wouldn't be able to argue that it might eat our children.

via



• If my husband had his way we'd own a great dane. Ain't happenin' hunny! Our house is way too small! I think he just envisions buying a tiny saddle and letting the kids ride the dog around the house.

• If I could go on a trip, RIGHT NOW, I'd  go anywhere tropical as long as there were no kids, no phones, and no scheuled and I could just lay in a hammock with a fruity drink. I want to just be able to do whatever I want to do when I feel like doing it, or just do nothing if that's my preference.

• If I had to chose between a house cleaner and a personal chef, I'd pick the house cleaner, hands down. I don't mind cooking but I sure as hell hate to clean!

• If I had the option of plastic surgery I'd get a boob lift. I think mine are a great size but they've gotten saggy after two babies. I just want them lifted up. I tell Kyle all the time that it's like dumping the contents of a half-full freezer-size ziploc bag into a sandwich bag. Same stuff, smaller bag. Perfect.

In writing this I was surprised by how often my answer was the same as Shannon's and/or Kristen's. Isn't it weird when you find that you have so many similarities to people you've never even met? That's what I love most about blogging. I might not have much in common with a lot of my IRL bffs (most of them are unmarried and childless) but there is a whole community of women at my fingertips if I need advice or a laugh or just a bitch-fest and I know that they'll get where I'm coming from. I took a really long hiatus from blogging after Viv was boern but it's honestly really nice to be back! I've missed you all!

WWTK Q&A - Holiday Style!

1. What is your favorite holiday?
Thanksgiving and Christmas are a close tie, but I think Christmas wins by a nose. I love the snow, the music, the tree, and just the spirit of the season. It's lovely. Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite meal of the entire year which makes it a very close second.


2. Do you have any fun holiday traditions? What are they?
We always spend Christmas Eve with my parents. First we read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and the story of Jesus' birth from the Bible, then we each get to open one present. I'm all for starting new traditions though! I've been trying to buy the kids a new ornament for the tree each year. So far none of my traditions are very exciting.


3. When do you start Christmas shopping?
January? There's no set time, we just buy stuff as we find it on sale and stuff it in the closet or attic. That way the kids get a bunch of cool stuff and we've spread the expense out over the course of the year.


4. What is your favorite holiday food?
Stuffing! I freaking love stuffing!


5. Share a favorite childhood holiday memory.

My mind is totally blanking on this, soooo last year was my favorite Christmas so far. Viv was just a few months old, but old enough to appreciate her presents. Logan had asked for 3 specific toys (from 3 different Santas) and he got SOOOO excited when he opened them. Kyle bought me the camera I wanted but then packaged it up like russian dolls complete with a brick tossed in to make it heavier and throw me off. It was just a great Christmas and I loved experiencing it with my little family. I'm sure this year will be even better!


6. Have you ever actually tried fruitcake??

No. I'm afraid.

Wedding A-Z - Part 2

MUSIC
A lovely friend and INCREDIBLY talented musician agreed to perform during our ceremony. She sang "Here Comes the Sun" while everyone took their places, "Sea of Love" (as performed by Cat Power) when I walked down the aisle, and "I'm Yours" while we greeted our guests as husband and wife.

Kyle and I put together a playlist on the ipod of all of our favorite songs to play at the reception.

We did our first dance to "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star. I found this song on his ipod while we were on our 2nd date. It had always been one of my favorite songs but few people I knew had ever heard of it. It was one of the earliest things we bonded over so there was never any doubt that it would be our first dance song.

NEWLYWEDS

OCEAN
We decided to get married on the beach because it holds so many precious memories for us and because it's where we feel most at home (as long as bikinis aren't involved). We briefly considered a destination wedding but settled on a local beach so that all of our important guests would be able to attend.


PHOTOGRAPHY
Our photographers, Gina & Tony were INCREDIBLE! (They're also a really, really, really cute couple!) All of the pictures on this and the previous post were taken by them. I honestly can't say enough good things about their work. If it wouldn't make me seem totally narcissistic, I'd have our pictures plastered all over the house. Hell, I'd give them away as Christmas gifts. They're just gorgeous. I can look at them over and over and over. Tony and Gina were an absolute dream to work with. They totally understood our vision and they kept us laughing the entire time. They even rocked the house when we pulled out Rock Band at our reception! Hands down, best wedding photographers EVER. If you live in the Chicago area and need a photographer for any reason, I highly suggest that you look them up!

Gina & Tony Photographers

QUIET MOMENTS

RINGS

SOMETHING OLD . . . NEW . . . BORROWED . . . BLUE
Something Old - My "bridesmaid" Shannon let me borrow a family heirloom handkerchief. I returned the favor last year at her wedding by lending her a handkerchief that once belonged to my grandmother.
Something New - Kyle surprised me with beautiful blue topaz earrings the morning of our wedding day. He presented them in a silver jewelry box engraved with "I Only See You" which is the title of one of our favorite songs by Benton Paul.
Something Borrowed - I can't remember, but I think I counted the handkerchief as my "something borrowed" as well.
Something Blue - Our guests - all of the most important people in our lives - were my "something blue" since everyone came dressed in our color, as requested.


TRAVELING IN STYLE
Our officiant drove us girls to the ceremony site in his gorgeous motor-home. It was way better than a limo because it had a bathroom and when I get nervous, I pee. Frequently.


UNIQUE
I happen to think we made a lot of unique choices but the most meaningful for me was including Logan in the vows. It was important to us that he feel like it was just as much his day as it was ours - even though he was so young that the significance was completely lost on him. It was a really special moment for us

as it was the beginning of us as a family.

For something fun AND unique, we played Rock Band at the reception. Our photographers even joined in and kicked all of our asses!

VOWS
I pieced our entire ceremony together myself from little bits I found here and there. The end product was so very special to us. I'd like to have excerpts framed to include in a photo wall I'm planning for our living room.

"These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.
These are the hands that will work along side yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.
These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach, until he too, feels his child stir within you.
These are the hands that look so large and strong, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.
These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family
These are that hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy
These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief wrack your mind.
These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you. "

WALKING DOWN THE AISLE

Since Logan was the only special man in my life before Kyle came along, I thought it only fitting that he walk me down the aisle. Unfortunately, this involved a reeeeeeally long walk across the sand before we even made it to the ceremony spot. He wasn't even 2 yet so he walked as much as his little legs could handle then I just carried him the rest of the way. We sang the alphabet over and over the whole way there to keep him happy and focused. It's such a wonderful memory for me, it was one of my favorite moments of the whole day.

X-RATED

YOU MAY NOW KISS THE BRIDE!

Zzzzzz . . . THE END.

I really love looking at our wedding photos. Thanks for celebrating with me!

Three. Trois. Drei. Tre. Tres. San. 3.

It has been 3 years since my wedding day. In reflection, it seems like just yesterday I was walking down the aisle and yet it feels as though Kyle and I have already spent a lifetime together. It's hard to remember a time before him. He has brought so much happiness, stability, and calm into my life, I honestly don't know where I'd be if he hadn't come along when he did. I know I can always count on him to make sure I have clean jeans or dark clothes to wear (because he never washes whites or brights), to say "I told you so" when my crazy schemes don't work out, and to always, always, always try to blame his farts on one of the kids. He's a predictable guy, that husband of mine, and I love him for it. He's everything that I'm not.

I spotted this Wedding A-Z post over on The Juice is Worth the Squeeze (their wedding was SERIOUSLY AMAZING - go check it out) a few weeks ago and thought it would be a great way to celebrate here on the blog. You have to understand, of course, that very little about our engagement and wedding was traditional, so I've had to change up the categories a bit as many of the original headings just don't apply to our wedding. So for now, here are A-L with the rest to follow tomorrow, enjoy!

ATTENDING

We kept it very small and intimate with only about 30 of our very closest friends and immediate family. We also asked everyone to wear blue. Weird, I know, but everyone cooperated without so much as a grumble (to our faces, anyway) and it looked AMAZING in the group pictures. Besides, these are the people who mean the very most to us and we wanted to to feel as if they were all members of the bridal party. Mission accomplished!

BRIDESMAIDS

This is one of the major areas where we broke from tradition, I had 5 bridesmaids but none of them walked down the aisle or even stood up at the front with me. They stood in the audience - for lack of a better word - with everyone else. Basically, our bridesmaids and groomsmen were the only friends we invited to the wedding so they got the title with none of the hassle. My "Maid of Honor" was Lauren, my best friend/roommate from college. "Bridesmaids" were Kati - my oldest friend and the best wedding planning helper EVER, Ashley - another friend from middle school, and Shannon - an amazing new friend.

CAKE

We went with cupcakes to stick with our laid back vibe, but also had a small cake to cut for pictures. To surprise my husband, I asked the baker to make a strawberry cake, since that's his favorite. He was so surprised  when we finally cut into it and it was BRIGHT PINK. For the cupcakes, we just went with a plain white cake with light blue frosting and decorated with white chocolate shells and starfish. They were beautiful. And delicious!

DRESS

Finding THE dress was a bit of a fiasco. I initially bought a white maxi dress at the BCBG outlet while Kyle and I were visiting my BFF/Maid of Honor in Atlantic City. Kyle even paid for it (as he still reminds me). A few weeks later, I just wasn't happy with it. It's a pretty dress, but it just wasn't "bridal" enough. So, I took to the internets to find THE dress. Luck of all lucks, I found this STUNNING and PERFECT Nicole Miller gown on ebay for something like $40, but it was not to be. I got an email a week later that when the dress had been retreived from the warehouse, it was damaged beyond repair. I was CRUSHED! Honestly, I still dream about that dress. I checked out a few local bridal shops, but everything they had was too dressy for a casual beach wedding, so I headed back to the internets and found a lovely dress in a casual white jersey fabric. It was beautiful even if it wasn't THE dress. (The best picture I have of it is the above shot of my bridesmaids peaking out from behind me.)

ENGAGEMENT PICTURES

Believe it or not, I found our photographers on Craigslist. We were working on a really tight budget but I still wanted amazing pictures. I didn't know where else to look so I headed to Craiglist where I found Gina and Tony. It turns out, Gina and I went to elementary school together. Considering the school was pre-k thru 8th grade and still only housed well under 100 people, it's pretty odd that we would run into each other again. It was fate. They are AMAZING photographers with the exact style that I was looking for. We did our engagement pictures on the beach on a rainy day at the end of May. Luckily the storm cleared literally MOMENTS before we pulled into the parking lot and the hazy sky made for perfect lighting. We even frolicked in the freezing ass ocean! The pictures were totally worth the hypothermia.

FOOD

We kept the reception very casual, more like a family get-together, really. Our guests all brought covered dishes and we ordered some bbq from the best bbq place EVER. The food was amazing - all our favorite things were present - unfortunately, I was too excited and busy talking to everyone to finish my plate but we ate the leftovers for days after, so that was fine.

GROOMSMEN

Kyle's "Groomsmen" - Dwayne, Tony, and Dave - have been his best friends forever. They've been raising hell together since Elementary School or something like that. They took Kyle out to play paintball and eat crabs for his bachelor party.

HONEYMOON

We rented a beautiful home in Fenwick Island for our wedding reception and spent the following week there for our honeymoon. We were a short drive from all the Delaware and Maryland beaches and spent a whole lot of time soaking up the sun, strolling on the boardwalk, and doing cheesy beach tourist things like mini golf and lazer tag. I also had "Mrs. Lynch" airbrushed onto a tank top - easily one of the highlights of my week. It was so relaxing and amazing. AND, we celebrated my birthday during our honeymoon. Best. Birthday. Ever. Given the chance, I wouldn't change a thing. We're thinking about renting the house again for our 5th anniversary.

Celebrating a righteous mini golf victory!

INVITATIONS

Our wedding happened exactly 5 months after our first date so there wasn't really a whole lot of time for invitations. We made a lot of phone calls and sent out a link to our wedding page for more details. It turns out our wedding page still exists. Check it out HERE if you feel so inclined.

JEWELRY

I wanted to give my bridesmaids charm bracelets but couldn't find any that I liked so I made them. I also made myself one as well as a matching necklace. I was really happy with how all the jewelry turned out and the girls loved their bracelets!

KEEPSAKES

We did a photo guestbook instead of the traditional. My amazing "bridesmaid" Kati made sure that everyone got their picture taken with my mom's old polaroid, then stuck the pictures in a scrabook where they could each write us a message next to their picture. Some people wrote us really beautiful notes and the book means so much to me. We gave out champagne flutes with blue stems as our favors. They were a great find at the Dollar Tree and I made these tags to tie onto them to fancy them up a bit.

LADIES NIGHT

For my bachelorette party, we loaded up a car full of girls and headed to Atlantic City to meet up with my "Maid of Honor" Lauren. We stayed at Lauren's Aunt's house in Ventnor because it was super close to everything and free. We started the night out at a GREAT Italian restuarant where we were seated next to a bachelor party. I sent the bachelor a beer and he sent us back a bottle of wine. They ended up following us to a club after dinner and paid for all of our drinks for the rest of the nice and were just generally a whole lot of fun! They really MADE the night.

Come on back tomorrow for M-Z!