Last year, on this day, we found out we were going to have a baby.  Well, in truth, I already knew (the way you just know), but there was the whole peeing-on-a-stick part.

Anyway, it was kind of poetic to find out I was going to be a Mom on a day to celebrate that.

So, here we are a year later, and we have a four month old.  It will never cease to amaze me how much can change in the space of one year.  365 days ago, we were giddy with our news, stealing knowing looks at each other as we celebrated Mother’s Day with our own Moms, knowing we were about to make them grandmothers.  I remember wondering what it would feel like to be a Mom on Mother’s Day.  I thought I wouldn’t care about the day, but I find myself really looking forward to it and placing possibly far too much importance on it for some reason.

My dreams for what being a Mom would be like were vast and varied.  I had a lot of opinions and plans and more than anything, hopes.  Much of that has been challenged, changed and also fulfilled in the last four months.  But most of all I’ve gained respect.  Respect for this job, for this role, for the price, for the honor.  It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Mom, I have always appreciated everything you’ve done for me in my life, and I’ve often thought about what a tremendous job it was.  But now I know.  As much as an admittedly green, Mom-of-four-months can know.  But still, that knowledge is light years away from what I knew a year ago.  And so now on this Mother’s Day, I have such tremendous respect for what you took on and did in being my Mom.  Because I’ve had a glimpse of what it will take to duplicate that for my own child.  It’s an unexplainable thing really, and I’m stumbling looking for the words.

When I am with Sloane, I wonder often if this is what it was like when it was just us, and I was your baby.   If you felt these things, dreamed this big or worried this much.  I smile, because I’ve never been prouder to walk in your footsteps.  And seeing you smiling, holding my child – the circle feels complete.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Talk about making my Friday!  It’s always such an honor to be published, especially on the selective and well-edited Style Me Pretty.

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Ashley and Tom have such an incredible sense of style, and I am so excited to see their lovely wedding be an inspiration to others.  So, click on over to Style Me Pretty and check out Ashley & Tom’s incredible Iowa wedding, and be sure to leave a comment and some love for them!

Have a great weekend!

Theirs wasn’t a story of falling, or even of happenstance.  It was a story of persistence.  On her part mostly, as it took a year to fully woo him.  With cookies, and phone calls and friendship.  She would say she wore him down.  He would say he made her wait, but was always willing.  But that was all fine by her, and him.  They were in it for the long haul.  They wanted years, not moments.  Lazy Sunday afternoons and busy Tuesday mornings, not just Friday nights. And so they built it, one laugh at a time.  What grew were trips across the world, chances to stand together agains opposition, opportunities to foster dreams.  All glued together with a goofy candor, and an impish smile.

Courtney and Ben love Disney World.  L.O.V.E.  As in, the sort of love that draws them to its brightly colored confections several times a year.  So, it was only natural that we travel there for their engagement session.  A welcome escape from chilly Wisconsin winter, Florida and Disney World provided a wonderfully playful backdrop for this equally playful couple.

Smitten is a gorgeous online magazine with some seriously great content and inspired ideas.  This issue focuses on color and also has a great runway rundown of all the latest new gowns.  Definitely a must-read.

Be sure to look for the “Inside Smitten” button in emily & Dave’s feature to see more!

Thanks to Della and Becky for including this wedding in their latest issue!

Be sure to click over and check it out, and leave some love for Emily & Dave here or there.

If you are a bride, a groom, think you might be a bride or groom soon, or if you know a bride or groom, mark your calendar for next Thursday, because the place to be is at Indie Wed!

I’m so excited for this bridal show.  It has such a different vibe, and there are so many new and exciting stationers, florists, performers and other artisans of all kinds who are going to be there.  If you are looking for something unique, something out of the box, then Indie Wed is your resource.

And what’s even better?

I’ve got free tickets! I’ll give away three pairs of tickets right here on the blog on Friday.  You have until then to tell me what your favorite thing about weddings is in the comment section – it can be anything- a moment, a cake flavor, a ritual – anything.  I’ll pick my favorite three comments to win the tickets.  Be sure you include your email address so I can send you the tickets!

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So Sloane got to meet her Aunt Mel for the first time this weekend.  Appropriately, their first meeting occurred in an airport. Since that is where Mel and I are always meeting up, it was only fitting.   We had such a blast having her here, and Sloane really loved her.  We took Sloane everywhere with us, including the Milwaukee Art Museum:

Can you believe they actually made us buy a ticket for her?  At least she truly looked at the art.  It was so cute how much she enjoyed the bigger, bolder pieces.  I figure, we can’t start her too early on this kind of thing.

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One more shot of the three of us, at the studio:

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Mel and I made this salsa by the Pioneer Woman yesterday.  It is fabulous, and so easy (isn’t everything she cooks?!?).  So much better than store-bought and so fresh!  Though, admittedly we forgot the cumin.  But still very good.

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Hubby was in Vegas over the weekend, on his annual trip with the boys.  As usual, they had a great time.  You can tell he’s getting older though, because for the first time he didn’t come back hung-over from all the partying.

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Sloane has started “talking” to us.  It’s truly the cutest, sweetest thing. Her voice is so soft and she gets so proud of herself when we respond to her.  We are really hoping that her voice ends up being like this one we are hearing, we love it so much.  The best part is she wakes up chatting now, instead of crying.  There is no better alarm clock.

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As of today, you can designate your organ donor status on Facebook.  This is huge.  Accessibility is the key to getting people registered, and nothing is more convenient and accessible than Facebook.  (please note it is only available on timeline)

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Another fabulous wedding this last weekend.  Part of what I loved about it was several of my favorite vendors were also hired by the couple.  Why?  Because I recommended them!  It’s always nice walking into a wedding day and knowing that everyone is going to be on their game.  Great sounds from Sound By Design, amazing cake from The Cake Lady, incredible food from Bartolottas Grain Exchange and beautiful florals from Belle Fiori.  Elizabeth was positively giddy with happiness the whole day, just as a bride should be.  And John just beamed.  There was definitely no raining on their parade.

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I’ve got a lovely little giveaway regarding Indie Wed for you tomorrow, so tune in!

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Have a great week!

Their first encounter was altogether unpleasant.  He was upset, she was side-swiped.  There were thousands of miles and a thick accent between them.  The kind of typical work-day exchange that goes forgotten.  Some time later they had a second chance.  He was there, in Chicago, in the flesh, instead of calling from Austria.  She was standing there, arms full of carefully color-coded and organized folders, introducing him to the project they were working on.  The careful preparation she exhibited wasn’t something he could forget.  Neither was her warm smile.  She had turned him down dozens of times before he finally came clean with her.  ”I’m courting you, you realize.” he had said.  She had smiled nervously.  ”Yes, and I’m turning you down, politely”.  The attraction was there, he knew it.  Somehow, he just had to get her to ignore the roadblocks.  He flipped the pages of the book in front of him.  Spiral bound, full of hope, it was a labor of love that he hoped would prove to her, page by page, why they should be together.  He had carefully arranged and assembled his arguments.  But would she agree?  He studied the cover and then feverishly covered it in silver ink proclaiming his love and signed his name.  No turning back now.

Alys and Dietmar have truly embraced their city home.  They love the Chicago streets, and everything they have to offer.  They’ve become experts at living life fully no matter where they are – Chicago, Austria, his apartment or hers.  So we had to take a few quick shots in this place they call home.  And then it only made sense to continue with something else that feels like home to them – cooking dinner together.  He’s playfully self-assured, and she is quietly confident, a fun combination.   Spending time with them, you can see that Dietmar is the one who gives permission to Alys’ softer side, and Alys is the one who brings the twinkle and wink to Dietmar’s eyes.  It is all scheduled to come together at Riverbend in Kohler, a place that is neither here nor there, but delightfully in-between.

So, today when BHLDN emailed me about a 60% (!) off sale on their website – I challenged myself to pull together some plans for an intimate, small-scale wedding – all on sale.

It’s no secret that BHLDN is one of my favorite go-to sites for all things wedding.  But, they can be a bit expensive, so a sale is all the excuse I would need if I were a bride again.

Happy Planning!

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Beth and Stu had a beautiful and sweet farm wedding on Saturday.  It felt so good to be back at a wedding and back in the swing of things.  It was a little cold when the sun ducked behind a cloud, but otherwise, quite pleasant for mid-April.

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On Sunday we joined my siblings and parents for a super-fun Segway tour of Chicago’s lakefront.  It was a Christmas gift from my parents from two years ago, that we finally managed to cash in.  (Getting 10 people to Chicago on the same day proved a tad challenging!)  It was cold for sure, but our fun totally made up for it.  We had a great time hanging out together and of course, zooming around on the segways.  Big thanks to my parents for the gift!

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Baby Girl is growing by leaps and bounds.  There was a 4 week old baby at last weekend’s wedding and I was struck by how much smaller she was than my own 3-month old.  Sloane has been rolling over, grabbing things, holding her own bottle, and has started having conversations with her toys.  It just gets more fun!

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I stumbled across this cool link the other day.  Someone had the sense of humor to add monsters to those awful sofa paintings, and it is hilarious!

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So, I might have mentioned I am a fan of Kate Spade on this blog a few hundred times before.  And now, she does watches!  Ah, so lovely!!

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Have a great week!

You were born on a day of expectation.  Your Mom was induced in the wee hours of the morning, knowing that this, this was the day she would get to meet you…..finally.  The forecast called for a massive winter storm, but as the waiting wore on, thru endless rolls of contraction print-outs, not a single flake fell.  You held onto your position, snug and comfortable in the womb, not too much in a hurry to emerge.   The hours ticked by, and still we waited.  Dad fidgeted on Facebook, Mom asked calm questions between small cat naps.  Your grandparents visited, bringing sunshine and humor into an anxious room.  And still we waited.  Waited, and waited some more.  The light of day faded gently into night.  Finally, the decision was made – mother nature wasn’t enough, you needed an escort.  Protective suits, surgery caps, permission forms, and a flurry of doctors and nurses.  Your Dad stood anxiously in the hallway, camera slung casually over his shoulder, counting the seconds ticking by as they prepped your Mom.  Finally it was time. You emerged like a dam that breaks, loud and screaming.  You. Had. Arrived.  And, glancing out the window, the snow started falling.

Angie and Craig, I was beyond honored to share this experience with you and capture your story.   Thank you for opening up your lives to my camera.  And Jonas, you are a lucky little man indeed.  You are so wanted, so anticipated, and so thoroughly enjoyed already.

***A big THANK YOU to the doctor’s, nurses, and other medical professionals of Children’s Hospital, who were so accommodating and welcoming to me and my camera. ***