Love in NOLA

This past weekend I traveled to New Orleans for my sweet friend Ali's wedding. It was my first time visiting the city and I was definitely taken aback. I don't know how NYC beat it out as the city that never sleeps. New Orleanians never sleep, nor do they ever stop celebrating.

Bourbon Street was fun and the French Quarter was undeniably enticing, but my favorite part was getting away from the hustle. The church was a few miles out and I absolutely loved see this portion of the city. It was beautiful and very tradition-rich. It reminded me a lot of Savannah.

Other highlights included Cafe du Monde, the Farmers' Market, the shopping and the street music ev.ery.where.

And, of course, Ali and Doug's beautiful wedding.

Congratulations Ali and Doug!

even though it's been a week...

I'm still on cloud nine from Megan's wedding. She was so happy and lovely, and it was wonderful to have so many of my friends in one place. I love them and am very grateful to be able to find them in the Midwest.

Congratulations Miss Meggie and Michael!

Rehearsal dinner :)

Getting ready with the bridesmaids!

In the limo - here we go :)

I love you Meggie Mooch!

sweet love

The post-vacation dust has settled and I'm officially missing the beach! We had such a great time in OBX celebrating Chris and Sam's wedding and, while she's felt like part of our family for a long time, I'm so excited we made it official. They offer so much good&love to one another, and I've never seen Chris so happy.

And it was absolutely wonderful to have our family together again. I always walk away from time with them wondering how the heck we survive miles apart, because really nothing makes me happier than being together. From bocce and runs on the beach to dancing (and dancing and dancing) to four square to oversized family dinners, I just adore them all so much.

PS: Court has lots of amazing pics too.

it was a good night, indeed

I'm back :)

I've been rilly busy since returning, so I haven't quite had time to blog about the trip.

However, here's a quick teaser of the greatness that was the wedding...

(first song of the night, of course)

PS Sorry for it being on its side part of the time. I'm not exactly a videographer...

blogger ate my homework

Well, I am sad to say all the lovely posts I had lined up this week have disappeared into the abyss that is blogger. And even more sadly, they took a lot of the comments from previous posts with them.

I'm not sure if they'll return, but in the meantime, I'm leaving blogger behind for the weekend and heading to St. Simons Island. I'm beyond excited to go to the beach and to have a relaxing weekend in the sun and sand.

Do you have anything on tap for the weekend? I hope it's splendid!

image via

his and hers

Dear Friends,

Whichever one of you gets married next will be receiving this decanter set. Because I am kind of obsessed.

You lucky duck! 

You're welcome,

Whitney

Thanks to bleubird vintage for featuring this loveliness.

Gilt-free wedding planning

As if the Gilt-free shopping wasn't good enough already, I've officially been invited (and now you have too) to the finest wedding event of the season: the Gilt Wedding Shop.

The event will take place from October 20-October 24. They'll have dresses, jewelry, makeup, bridesmaids accessories, items for the groom and his men, and much more.  Below is the official schedule from Gilt.  Happy wedding!

Day one: “The Happy Couple,”, Wednesday, October 20, at noon ET. Find the gown, the jewelry, the shoes, and the suit.

Day two: “The Bridal Party: A Perfect Match,” Thursday, October 21, at noon ET. Don’t miss a selection of dresses that your bridesmaids will want to wear again (really).

Day three: “Honeymoons and Experiences,” Friday, October 22, at noon ET. Deal with the details—the pre-big day shape-up, the makeup, the cake, the bash—then book the perfect romantic getaway.

Day four: “Home and Registry,” Saturday, October 23, at noon ET. A stellar selection of china, bedding, and home goods that’s perfect for aspiring nesters.

Mainiacs

I'm a firm believer that Bloomington boasts some of the most spectacular autumns imaginable. However, after asserting this the last two years throughout September and October, Jim has held strong in his belief that New England's are better.

And while I'm not ready to say they are better than Indiana (better than Indiana? Is there such a thing?), I must admit that I found very stiff competition for Bloomington this weekend.

I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with Jim's family in New Hampshire and Maine.  We attended a wedding in Southport, where we stayed at the stunning Newagen Seaside Inn, which, conveniently was where the wedding was held as well. 

The wedding truly could not have been more beautiful, and I couldn't have enjoyed myself more.  From the food, to the dancing, to the company, it could not have been more perfect. 

Jim says the leaves are only just beginning to turn, which further solidifies my only complaint from the weekend: we left too soon.

I tried lobster for the first time!

Margaret Hamilton's house...

 The vows...

And the first dance...

Some Midwestern love...

PS: Thanks to Molly for sharing her pictures

Maine bound

I leave for Maine this evening for a wedding and I couldn't be more excited. It's my first time to visit Maine and Jim has given me multiple consultations on how different it is than Indiana.  He keeps reminding me that it's less skirts and dresses and more Patagonia fleeces.

His reminders, along with the cooler weather, make me wonder if I should have invested in the Patagonia fleece Jane suggested to me last week.

Or possibly the lovely duck toed boots Erin loves so much.

I'm thinking these assets might make me look slightly more Maine-ready.

Regardless, I'm just impressed with myself for fitting all of my clothes into one tiny carry on...

Now I just have to pray that I have everything I need.  Off to Maine I go...

sweet love

Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend Greg and Kari's beautiful wedding in Georgia.

The weekend was packed full, with the bachelorette/bachelor parties Thursday night, the rehearsal dinner Friday night, and the wedding Saturday.  Everything was perfect and my only complaint is that it flew by far too quickly.

Kari's maid of honor, Maria, owns a bakery and made her cake. On Saturday morning, Maria let me help with the cake baking project (she took a risk).

I had no idea how such beautiful cakes and cupcakes were made, but after quite a few hours with my hands deep in fondant,  I have a much better understanding...

Maria putting the final touches on...

The final product...

And proof that they turned out well, Kim and Alex enjoying..