Andrea and Jake's Reception!

Last Saturday my friend Andrea and her husband Jake had the coolest Reception. They got married in the Bahamas in June and had a big party on Saturday to celebrate with everyone who couldn't be at their Ceremony. Andrea wore her dress and they did all the traditional things like the cake cutting and the first dance. These two really love each other and whenever they are around all of our friends feel like throwing up because they can't keep their eyes off each other. I am so happy for them and had so much fun sharing their special day! Here are a couple of photos...

Our new puppy Leo!

On Monday evening, Jesse's sister walked in the door with an adorable little puppy. Of course Jesse's mouth dropped open and immediately and fell in love. Here is the long and short of it...

Jesse's sister works with a girl who's boyfriend's brother works at a storage unit. On Monday at work, she was telling Amanda that he found 5 boy puppies in an abandoned storage unit last week. Amanda had no intention of getting another pet because she already has 3 boys and 2 cats, but as soon as she saw the puppy she wanted it! Turns out the storage unit had been left unpaid for a few months and when he went to check on it he found a small milk crate with 5 puppies in it! The puppies were about 2 weeks old, starved, and very malnourished. The guy who found them was such a good person that he took all the puppies in, took them to the vet, and kept them until he could find good homes for them. When Amanda arrived with her new addition,she told us that there was one more left that needed a home. Obviously, Jesse jumped and said I want him! So, we met Eric about 30 minutes later and the rest is history...

We decided to name our puppy Leo, after the guy who found them. Amanda named hers Cyrus; go figure, another C named boy in her family! The best part is that Cyrus and Leo get to play together all the time and didn't have to be separated.

Another neat part about the story is that Jesse and I have always wanted to get a puppy someday but had trouble agreeing on what kind. I wanted a weimaraner and he wanted a black lab. Ironically, Leo is a black weimaraner and if you are familiar with that breed they look a whole lot like Labradors. We are so excited but overwhelmed already because he requires a lot of attention and has to be fed his formula every 3 hours. Below are some cute pictures we took...

Meghan and Shaun's Anniversary Session

On Sunday evening, I did an anniversary session for two of my very best friends. Meghan and Shaun got married 1 year ago. They are truly an inspiration to all of us! They are two of the most selfless, giving, unconditional people I have ever met. I know either of them would do anything for anyone. The fact that they found each other all those years ago is incredible. It is proof that God exists and that he brings people together for a reason. I have learned what it means to be a friend from the two of them. God brought them together because they were perfect for one another, but also so that they could make an impact on others. I remember their wedding day like it was yesterday. The sun was shining almost as much as Meghan and Shaun were. The whole day was filled with laughter and love and I will keep that memory close to my heart for as long as I can!

Meghan and Shaun got married three weeks before Jesse and I. The planning process of our weddings was stressful at times because naturally we wanted to be a little secretive about certain things, BUT overall planning two weddings so close together brought Meghan and I closer than ever. Meghan is one of my best friends and I am so happy that she has Shaun in her life. These photos truly capture their love and I hope you enjoy the sneak peek...

Love you guys!!
-Allie

Circus Themed Baby Shower?

Yes, that is exactly what I thought when I first heard the idea! A couple of weeks ago, the facility I work at hosted a beautiful Circus themed baby shower for a very special lady. There was a committee (yes I said committee) who planned the shower and they did not miss a detail. From handmade place cards to a rented popcorn machine and candy peanuts, every inch was unique and special. I took so many pictures because I was so impressed and wanted to share them!

A Candy Affair

Someone my family knows was married last Saturday and instead of doing a traditional dinner/ cake reception she chose the candy/dessert buffet route instead. I have noticed this is becoming a popular trend for weddings and to be honest I think this is such a unique idea! Your guests can select from various candies you have beautifully displayed and then get to take those treats home in a customized bag or box! I love this idea so much that I am trying to persuade my older sister to use it for her wedding next March!

Inspiration everywhere!!

Well...it has been a few days since I last posted...I have been so busy! I have been trying to reorganize my wedding info. for brides and I am also caught up in helping my sister choose a color scheme for her big day! I made a red and yellow board for her and wanted to share!! I like the yellow the best! Although maybe I should consider that yellow is NOT my color and that I would get stuck wearing it! :) Oh well..yellow is such a happy color...ENJOY!!

My Birthday!

Well, March is a fabulous month because MY birthday is the 29th! And, I suppose I could aslo mention that my little sister, my sister in law, and two of my good friends ALSO have March birthdays. Just fabulous I tell ya! It is a great excuse for cake, cards, presents, candies, and flowers!

I spent the first part of my day shopping with my mom and had a great time! Sometimes window shopping suffices my urge to spend! And, what is better than a homemade card and a delicious salad from The Cheesecake Factory!

That evening, like every year my sister in law (who is amazing, and is also my friend, not just my sister in law) and I shared our celebration by having dinner and cake at my in-laws. It is always a blast because her little rascals crack us up and we get to eat, laugh, and be thankful for the awesome family we have!

In addition to this, my friends Meghan and Patty and their husbands Shaun and Alex came down to Cincinnati to visit Jesse and I for a birthday dinner! We went to one of our favorite restaraunts, Pompilios. It was great to catch up with them, laugh, and make some new memories.

Here are some pictures from my weekend...I will be posting about my little sister's 21st birthday celebration next! :)

wEdDiNg WoNdEr...

I am so excited because my older sister Keira, is getting married! What is just as exciting is that she is letting me plan her wedding! The only tricky part is that she lives in Phoenix, Arizona and I live in Cincinnati, Ohio! :) Well, this should be so much fun!
She has chosen black dresses for her bridesmaids, but she wants to add a color for a little "pop". She decided she wants to choose between raspberry and green and so I created two inspiration boards (got the idea from one of my favorite blogs "Grey Likes Weddings") so she can see what her options are!
Here are the two boards...

(pictures from http://www.theknot.com/)

Happy Weddings!!

Allison

St. Patrick's Day

Silly me forgot to post this earlier in the week! Being Irish, my favorite holiday is St. Patrick's Day! And NO it is not because I can have a green beer, it is actually because of all the excitement the day brings! I love dressing in green and hearing about all the festivities that go on! Two of my best friends also have husbands who share this day as their birthday! How exciting is that!? I wish my birthday was St. Patrick's Day!!

When I was younger, my best friend Ashley, my younger sister, and I would collect an entire bucket of rocks and wrap them in gold foil. We thought we were so clever, and looking back we actually were!! :) We always made sure to wrap an entire bucket by the time St. Patrick's Day rolled around and when that day finally came, we would dress up in green from head to toe! We tried so hard to look like little leprechauns! When we were dressed and ready to go we would take the bucket of gold and knock on the door of every house in the neighborhood, leave a little piece of gold at the doorstep and run like mice to hide. We would watch them open the door and pick up their piece of gold. It was so fun!!! Looking back those are the days I remember most about being a kid, I am so lucky to have those memories.
Speaking of St. Patrick's Day, my adorable niece Jillian had her first St. Patty's experience this year and of course we had to dress her up and take her picture!! Here are a few of the little
cutie!!!





My sister gave her a pedicure!!!





A screaming Leprechaun.... :)

Talented Kristin and Beautiful Laura!

Recently, a great friend of mine asked me to help her with a project she was working on for school. As a cosmetology student, she was encouraged to enter a competition that showed her talents as a hairstylist in a creative way. She did the hair and chose the outfits and I did the photography. I had a blast working with her and am so excited for what is to come in her future!! Here are some of the pictures from the project:

This is my FAVORITE....

Laura was such a natural :)

This reminds me of Audrey Hepburn ...

Isn't she lovely?!?

Best of Luck to my good friend Kristin!

Until next time....

Allison

WeDdInGs, wEdDiNgS, WeDdInGs....!!!

Ahh...the thought of a wedding makes me smile. Being a recent bride, weddings are always on my mind. I enjoyed every moment of planning my own wedding, even the stressful times and sometimes when I look back on it all I can't believe how quickly it went. Since my wedding last May, I have been thinking more and more about getting into the biz. I love talking about weddings, thinking about weddings, and making things for weddings! I was the total DIY bride and it was a blast! My ideal career would be working as a wedding planner/consultant with DIY brides who want to be involved but also need some creative guidance.

Recently I signed on to do a friends flowers for her wedding and I can't wait! She is using calla lillies and roses and is using the color latte as her theme. This is going to be so fun! Here is a picture of where we found inspiration for her bouquet and her bridesmaid's bouquets:

I also designed and made a friends wedding invites recently as well, and they turned out beautiful! She is getting married in the Bahamas so I tried to make them "beachy" but still sophisticated....here is a pic:

While I am sharing wedding related pictures I wanted to share some pictures of my beaufiful wedding flowers! I absolutley loved my flowers so I hope you enjoy these:

Just as the clock strikes 12...Happy Friday!!

-Allison