pretty nice little saturday

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On this day three years ago, it was a Saturday. It was a date that was a palindrome. It was warm.

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On this day three years ago, the whole entire world existed in one small Minnesota town.

Happy Anniversary.

To being in the same country for the next one.

To another 1,095 days of love.

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Mama Bear + Baby Bear

My 2nd weekend as a bachelorette, my mom came to visit. She is such a calming, comforting influence to have around. We also did a lot of eating. Does everyone else eat a lot when they are with their families?

I love my mom. We had a great time.

The drink we named Let Them Drink Cake; cake flavored vodka, orange soda + alcohol infused whip cream. Tastes a lot like orange dreamsicle. I preferred it without the whip {more fruity}.

Our lupper {lunch + supper} feast. We watched movies, did our nails, drank our fancy new invention & grazed on all of this fresh, yummy grub. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of our red velvet cake!

Any weekend with my family ends with a proper Sunday morning breakfast; scrambled eggs {2 whites/1 yoke}, whole wheat toast, steamed asparagus, pineapple orange juice + coffee.

photos by Me.

When Dad Comes to Town

Rob's 1st weekend away was especially tough on me back at the ranch. My dad just so happened to be alone for an extended period as well so he came up and kept me company. We mostly chilled. He brought his grill and made us a delicious lunch on Saturday afternoon. He blogged his recipe you can see it here.

Besides lugging his grill all this way, Dad also gifted us with a portable air conditioner/dehumidifier. It's awesome. The animals are especially grateful. We also did lots of talking, some movie-watching & some more eating. It was great.

Heavenly...

the cutest car I have ever seen; Midget.

strawberry ice cream + chocolate sauce. yes.

apple+ walnut quinoa cakes at Pizza Luce.

Daddy-o.

photos by Me.

Oh, Blogger, Where Art Thou?

I've been basking in every moment of alone time I've been able to steal with my dear husband who is venturing out for a big adventure and very soon. The blog has taken on some inevitable neglect in the wake of this. Naturally.

I wore this dress recently when we attended my stepsister's wedding at a vineyard & winery {photos to follow}. It was $20 at a little vendor stand during Sidewalk Days. Her tent had no name. She was just a quiet woman with lovely, affordable dresses. Magical.

The wedding color was purple, so it was fun to have something breezy to match. I did do quite a bit of surveying about the questionable tact of wearing white to a wedding. It's a a largely outdated notion, according to my sources. So, I wore it happily. What do you all think about dress rules for wedding attendees? Is this a polarizing issue?

I got to have him with me on this pretty day.

ps: I colored my hair red{ish-goldish}.

dress: the mysterious vendor, cardigan: Merona, belt: Charlotte Russe, earrings: Forever21, sandal wedges: Attention, nail polish: Sally Hansen Salon Series ~ Thinking of Blue.

photos by Peanut.

I Smile {it's Wednesday!}

It's Wednesday. Which means I am reflecting on my Smiles. You should too. Join in here.

Looking back on my fabulous week/end, all of my smile moments {at their root} are due to beautiful moments with family + friends. Lucky me...

Two-part fireworks this year. Chapter 1 was a shockingly enormous quantity of super close country 'works on the lake.

Chapter 2 was giant, far-away city 'works with an amazing view {+ gorgeous weather} from our friend's rooftop.

{our fair city}

This lovely sprite is Ms. Kate. And you can read about her fashion adventures over at her blog, Carry On Dancing. She is as talented as she is adorable. Visit her.

{smiley face}

photos by Peanut.

I Smile {it's Wednesday!}

It's I Smile Wednesday.

What? You don't know?!

Learn about it.

My smile moment this week should come as no surprise. Rob and I became Godparents to our gorgeous little nephew. It was the best and most beautiful smile moment of far more than just the past week.

what up, cuz?

...that face!

Of course, these didn't hurt. And the shiny thing behind them.

Hallelujah.

photos by Peanut.

The Day I Became a Godmother

On Sunday, our lil nephew nugget was dedicated and we became his Godparents. It was a gorgeous, perfect day. A few sweet moments are sure to follow in a not-too-distant-future post.

dress: Vera Wang {thrifted ~ $15!}, cardigan: Merona, heels: Bongo, necklace: Two&Co., earrings: The Electric Fetus {gift}, nail polish: China Glaze ~ Flyin' High.

photos by Peanut.

For My Mom

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers, grandmothers + mothers-to-be out there. You are all angels.

And a special Happy Day to my mama; you are my angel. I love you.

{clockwise from top left: my mom's senior photo/my mom, sister & I at my wedding reception/my mom's amazing perm/my Grandma}

Home, Suite, 'Sarah'

In my last post, I made mention of the super cool place I got to take my photos in. Allow me to unveil the mystery locale.

A little over a month ago, my mom & her husband opened a restaurant in my hometown. This fabulous space where they run their fabulous new business, also has 5 rooms above it. Those sweet folks decided to rent out these suites and name them after their 5 daughters. Not only did I get to eat amazing meals + frolic at the amazing bar that my mom and stepdad own & operate {a total trip in and of itself}, I also go to stay in a gorgeous room...named after me!

Here's a mini-tour...

{the name of the owners/original hotel building is on the doors & bar}

my room is pink {my favorite color} it was formerly called the Summer Room

I am so proud of my mom and Tony for accomplishing this big undertaking and chasing their dreams. You can see the menus here and gorgeous shots of the 4 other hotel rooms here.

in this spacce {one of the two bathroom areas in the room}, there is a flat screen tv on the wall, a fireplace and a jetted heavenly tub

my mom, sister Leah & I behind the bar

photos by Peanut.