2012 recap: my year!

i can remember way back in january, shawn repeating, "this is our year.  it will be great."  (a little bit more on that here) of course i agreed.  but i don't think we knew quite what was in store for us.

january started out with lots of excitement for the upcoming wedding, and that was pretty much all i could allow myself to focus on.  time was flying by and we were busy planning something wedding related for almost every weekend of each month! but not before we had a weekend escape to the mountains with our very best friends, which started a tradition that i am so excited to continue next month.

with february, came the 7 month mark and a very small valentine's gesture that will always have me swooning over my sweet husband.  (love that guy so much!) we also settled on the final invitation design and i revealed our save the dates.  then it was off to select the bridesmaids dresses, which still remains one of my most memorable and favorite day-that-turned-into-nights with my girls ever!

in march, i drank the koolaid that was hunger games and my obsession was born! not sure i've ever read through 3 books that fast!  and all of a sudden we were at the 6 month countdown! this month was all about FLOWERS.... i love looking back at what i selected as my inspirations, and seeing what came to life on the big day!

april brought some warm weather and spring fever was in full effect! we celebrated easter at our home and had some outdoor dinners on our deck,  some of my favorite memories for sure! and, of course, the 5 month mark on our countdown ensued!

in may, we celebrated mother's day, finalized some major details for the wedding day and rehearsal dinner, and then we fell off the map for a bit....

june was certainly very eventful! after returning home from our little get-away, it was a surprise bridal shower for me! i remember thinking that if the shower was just a small taste of what the big day would be like, i could hardly contain my excitement! i talked a lot about hair trials and make-up trials. and even shared some of my dream home inspirations.  but one thing i didn't share that month, was afraid it might be too soon, was that while we were in florida i received a life changing phone call - a job offer for my dream job! i will always remember jumping up and down like a fool after very excitedly accepting the offer, and knowing in my heart that good things were absolutely happening for me.

july was a quiet month on the blog. i was busy getting things done before starting my big girl job! our invitations were in my hand and i loved every second of assembling them and mailing them off to their destinations...and eagerly waiting for the responses! .. and, we marked TWO MONTHS to go!

in august, once all of the invitations had been received, i shared our invitations with you! shawn and i made a fun purchase for the honeymoon... and then it was time for my very own bachelorette party!

september was another quiet month on the blog, as we were only days away from the big day! but, i did share my wedding perfume, my excitement for our honeymoon, and a love letter to my soon-to-be husband!

in october, i was back to blogland after taking a small wedding/honeymoon hiatus with  my favorite motto: husbands are the new black! i shared some of the highlights from our honeymoon, and revealed our wedding song, and what we had engraved in our bands.

we were really settling into our newlywed lives in november, and i was so excited to share a sneak peek at two professional photos from the wedding.

and finally, this month, december, i was able to start to share our wedding photos! i gave you a peek into what the day started like, and share with you our very first christmas card.

i have had so much fun looking back at what this past year has brought.  honestly, 2012, you were the best year of my life! you were the picture of love, positivity, health, wealth, and amazing memories.  i don't know how 2013 could be any better! i'm sad to see 2012 coming to an end, but oh so excited to see what is in store!

wishing you and yours the happiest and healthiest of new years! may 2013 bring you many joys, lots of love, and the loveliest of memories..

xxo!

wedding wednesday

oh my! time has really gotten away from me as far as this little blog goes.  with the holidays and working late nights, i have really just been wanting to spend any extra time with my husband, family, and friends.  but i am planning on my posts being more frequent from here on out ;)

we received our wedding photos a few weeks ago and i just have to share a few of my favorites (so hard to choose just a few!)  i thought i would start with our "getting ready" photos and separate it up into a few posts so that it is not photo overload!  i hope you enjoy!

our photos were taken by the amazing george weiss III.  find him here
xxo!

so, this is christmas

warmest holiday wishes to you & yours.

this has been the best christmas yet!

xxoo!

a very timely craving

i have always loved watches.  i have a small collection, mostly gifts.  but, of course, my favorite is my chunky, silver michele watch - a birthday gift two years ago from my husband, who then was just my boy toy ;)

this year, however, i have had my eye on gold watches.  i prefer a more classic look & would be more than happy to see a gold or rose watch under the christmas tree this year!

all photos: source

gift guide: for the men in your life

here are a few things on my shopping list for both my husband & my brother:

shop it here

shop it here

shop it here

shop it here

shop it here

shop it here

shop it here

what's on your shopping list for the men in your life?

today i read this..

today i was perusing the interwebs and stalking...(i mean)... learning more about one of the most influential women in the news right now. and by that i mean none other than the real housewives of new york: specifically carol radziwill.  (saracastic about her being among the most influential women in the news right now, but she is influential to me! haha!)

photo from carol's website

i'm a romantic girl. i love love and i love romance and most of all i love reading a love story with a happy ending.  so when i read her bio on her personal website here i felt some kind of way.  because although there isn't necessarily a happy ending to her love story, the ending is really yet to come

she's so real and honest and so likeable.

i found her story a nice little read and thought i'd share.

hope you had a fabulous thanksgiving!

xo

this week

monday morning the week of thanksgiving...this is the official start of the holiday season! this weekend, we visited one of our favorite little spots for dinner and i was so excited to see it all decorated for christmas.... lots of gold, green, and white.  my favorite color combo for the season!  we started our christmas shopping & i'm happy to say my in-laws are officially done! i've also started compiling a little wish list i just may leave for santa to find ;)

coming up in the next few weeks, i'm looking forward to spending the holidays with my husband, weekend get aways, cookie swap with girlfriends, a birthday, spending time with family, and so much more!  what are you looking forward to now that the holidays are here??

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making a statement

i have always been a big fan of the jewels - the more the better has always been my motto. i love the look of layering chunky and delicate necklaces (and bracelets!).  also loving the pop of neon with chunky rhinestones.

photo source

xo!

monday's mood

photo source

even though temperatures were unseasonably warm today, i'm still wanting to wrap myself in a big cozy scarf & some sunnies and go hide out in a coffee shop for a few hours....  oh, monday!