3rd Anniversary Photo Shoot

I FINALLY GOT A CHANCE TO POST THIS AMAZING PHOTOSHOOT THAT OUR WONDERFULLY TALENTED FRIEND, LEE PFEIL, TOOK OF OUR 3RD ANNIVERSARY! WE STARTED A TRADITION FOR OUR 1ST ANNIVERSARY WHERE WE CAME UP WITH A THEMED PHOTOSHOOT BASED ON THE TRADITIONAL ANNIVERSARY GIFTS WHICH ARE LISTED IN THE PICTURE BELOW.  

SO LET ME EXPLAIN. THE 1ST YEAR ANNIVERSARY GIFT IS PAPER SO WE DECIDED TO MAKE A PAPER KITE AND HAVE A PHOTOSHOOT OF TRYING TO FLY IT. YOU CAN VIEW THOSE PHOTOS HERE. THE 2ND ANNIVERSARY GIFT IS COTTON SO WE HAD A PILLOW FIGHT! YOU CAN VIEW THOSE PHOTOS HERE.

SO THEN THAT BRINGS US TO THIS YEAR. THE 3RD ANNIVERSARY GIFT IS LEATHER. SO THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT OF WHEN I THOUGHT OF LEATHER WAS BOOTS WHICH THEN MADE ME THINK OF COWBOYS AND THEN THAT MADE ME THINK OF INDIANS (I KNOW TOTALLY NOT PC) HOWEVER, AS I WAS THINKING OF NATIVE AMERICANS, HAHA, I STARTED TO THINK OF LEATHER MOCCASINS, AND HOW THEIR TEEPEES WERE ORIGINALLY MADE WITH ANIMAL SKINS AND LEATHER. AS I CONTINUED EXPLORING THIS IDEA, I REALIZED HOW CUTE OF A THEME IT COULD BE. AND THEN I FOUND THE PERFECT DRESS WITH TRIBAL ART DETAILING ON THE FRONT AND KNEW EXACTLY THIS WAS THE THEME FOR US! SO IN THE PICTURES YOU CAN SEE ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS WE MADE WITH LEATHER. I FIRST MADE A NUMBER 3 FOR OUR 3RD ANNIVERSARY OUT OF STICKS AND LEATHER CORD. AND THEN MY BROTHER IN LAW, DENNIS SO GRACIOUSLY HELPED ME MAKE A BEAUTIFUL DREAMCATCHER OUT OF LEATHER. (I WAS STRUGGLING WITH THE WEB, HAHA) I ALSO MADE A LEATHER HEAD BAND, HAD LEATHER SANDALS, RYAN HAD LEATHER MOCCASINS, AND THEN WE TIED OUR HOMEMADE TEEPEE WITH LEATHER CORD. SO WE DEFINITELY INCORPORATED LEATHER AND I THINK IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. 

WE HAD SO MUCH FUN SHOOTING IN THE WOODS BEHIND MY PARENTS HOUSE. MY AMAZING HUSBAND LOVED ME ENOUGH TO CARRY A WHOLE TEEPEE ON A 10 MINUTE HIKE TO THE PERFECT SPOT IN THE WOODS! HAHA. HE TOTALLY WAS NOT LIKING THE SITUATION BUT STILL DID IT FOR ME <3 THAT'S TRUE LOVE. :P MY NEPHEW, CALEB AND NIECE, JULIA ALSO HELPED US CARRY OUR PROPS THROUGH THE WOODS WHICH WAS TOTALLY HELPFUL AND FUN! SO ENJOY THE PHOTOS AND HOPEFULLY THIS GIVES YOU SOME GOOD IDEAS FOR YOUR NEXT PHOTOSHOOT! I AM ALREADY PLANNING NEXT YEAR'S SHOOT WHICH WILL BE BASED ON FRUIT AND I BET YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO =) YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE!  

Berry Themed Bridal Shower Brunch

SO HERE IS PROOF TO SHOW I HAVE BEEN TOO BUSY TO POST ANYTHING LATELY! MY SISTER AND HER FIANCEE DECIDED TO MOVE THE WEDDING UP A BIT AND HAVE IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS NOVEMBER INSTEAD OF NEXT SEPTEMBER. SO THAT MEANT WE NEEDED TO PLAN A BRIDAL SHOWER FAST! 

WE HAD A BRUNCH OF SORTS WITH DELICIOUS BREAKFAST FOODS AND OUR THEME WAS BASED ON BERRIES SPECIFICALLY BLUEBERRIES. MY SISTER'S FIANCEE AND HIS FAMILY OWN A BLUEBERRY FARM (CHECK OUT THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE) AND THEIR WEDDING HAS A BLUEBERRY THEME SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE SHOWER AS WELL. 

I CREATED THE SHOWER INVITE ABOVE BUT CANNOT TAKE CREDIT FULLY BECAUSE I MODELED IT AFTER A BEAUTIFUL SHOWER INVITE YOU CAN PURCHASE HERE THEY ENDED UP BEING A BIT TIME CONSUMING SINCE I PRETTILY HAND ADDRESSED 65 ENVELOPES BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY TIME WELL SPENT IN MY OPINION =)

ORIGINALLY I WAS THINKING I COULD BE THE PHOTOGRAPHER BUT WASN'T THINKING HOW I NEEDED TO BE A HOST TOO SO I AM SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR MY FRIEND, HEATHER MORRIS WHO TOOK MOST OF THE PICTURES BELOW. YOU CAN CHECK OUT HER WEBSITE HERE

THE MENU 

(ALL HOMEMADE BY THE BRIDESMAIDS, FAMILY OF THE BRIDE AND OTHER FRIENDS)

 A YOGURT PARFAIT BAR WITH HOMEMADE GRANOLA 

SAUSAGE, GRAVY AND BISCUITS 

BROCCOLI QUICHE AS WELL AS QUICHE LORRAINE WITH BACON

A VARIETY OF HOMEMADE DONUT HOLES 

MINI POTATO CASSEROLES

HOMEMADE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH HONEY BUTTER

SUN TEA AND BERRY MINT WATER

AS WELL AS BLUEBERRY COFFEE

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, A DELICIOUS LEMON BLUEBERRY CREPE CAKE (I WILL POST THE RECIPE SOON!)

THE CAKE WAS MY BABY THAT TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE AND I WILL GO INTO FURTHER DETAIL ABOUT ALL OF THAT IN A LATER POST BUT ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS THAT I ROYALLY MESSED UP PUTTING THE CAKE TOGETHER AND IF IT WASN'T FOR MY BROTHER IN LAW'S, BROTHER, DAVID KROPP (PROFESSIONAL CAKE MAKER) WHO CAME TO MY RESCUE THEN I WOULD HAVE BEEN SCREWED!!!

THE VENUE

I ONLY HAVE AMAZING THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE VENUE! IT WAS WONDERFUL BOOKING IT AND HOLDING THE PARTY THERE. IT WAS AT THE CANO GALLERY WHICH IS THE OLD WILBER MANSION ON FORD AVENUE IN ONEONTA, NY. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL ART GALLERY THAT FORTUNATELY AT THE TIME OF OUR SHOWER, DID NOT HAVE ANY SHOWS UP SO ALL THE WALLS WERE COMPLETELY BARE AND WHITE WHICH GAVE US LOTS OF SPACE TO BE CREATIVE WITH OUR DECORATIONS. THEY EVEN REPAINTED THE WALLS BEFORE WE GOT THERE! IT REALLY WAS A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE AND FOR A GROUP OF 60 PEOPLE IT IS A PERFECT VENUE THAT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ANYONE! CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE! 

THE DECORATIONS

WELL IT WASN'T TOO HARD TO DECORATE AN ALREADY GORGEOUS SPACE! BUT WE DID HAVE TO BE CREATIVE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A TON OF MONEY TO WORK WITH. WE HAD TASSEL GARLANDS MADE FROM TISSUE PAPER BY MY AMAZING AUNT. WE HAD BEAUTIFUL PAPER TRIANGLE GARLANDS MADE BY MY SISTER, AMY AND BRIDESMAID, ABBY. ABBY, WHO I WORKED WITH AT THE FLOWER SHOP FOR SEVERAL YEARS, ALSO PUT TOGETHER OUR FOLIAGE WALL AND SUSPENDED WREATHS (WITH THE HELP OF MY NIECE, JULIA!). THEY TURNED OUT ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T THINK THE PICTURES DO THEM JUSTICE! WE BOUGHT A VARIETY OF FOLIAGE FROM CODDINGTON'S FLORIST AND IT WORKED OUT PERFECTLY. ONE OF THE CHEAPEST DECORATIONS WAS THE BIG ENGINEER PRINTS I GOT FROM OFFICE MAX FOR ONLY $8 A PIECE! I PRINTED OUT A HUGE PICTURE OF THE BRIDE AND GROOM AS WELL AS A HAND LETTERED PIECE I MADE. BOTH WERE 3 FEET X 4 FEET WHICH TOOK UP A LOT OF SPACE AND REALLY MADE A STATEMENT AT SUCH A LOW COST!

EVERYTHING CAME TOGETHER AND IT ENDED UP BEING SUCH A LOVELY TIME. ENJOY THE PICTURES BELOW AND HOPEFULLY SOMETHING WILL INSPIRE YOU FOR YOUR NEXT PARTY! FEEL FREE TO COMMENT WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

THE PICTURE ABOVE IS OF MY TWO SISTERS AND ME. I AM ON THE RIGHT, MY SISTER, AMY IS ON THE LEFT AND MY SISTER, BETHANY, IN THE MIDDLE, IS THE ONE GETTING MARRIED! I <3 MY SISTAS!

BELOW IS THE HAND LETTERED PIECE I DID FOR THE ENGINEER PRINT. I AM SO PUMPED FOR MY SISTER AND NATE (HER FIANCEE) I CAN'T BELIEVE THEIR WEDDING IS IN LESS THAN 3 WEEKS!! I PRAY A SPECIAL BLESSING ON THEIR WEDDING DAY AND MARRIED LIFE TOGETHER! <3 <3 <3

Pillow Fight!

Don't you love any excuse to do a photo shoot?! Well Ryan and I had our 2nd Anniversary and of course we had to do another shoot! We decided last year to base the themes of our anniversary photo shoots on the traditional gifts for the Anniversary years (look below to see chart). Last year was paper so we made a homemade paper kite and tried flying it- it was unsuccessful unfortunately but still made for a fun photo shoot. You can view those photos here 1st Anniversary Photo Shoot This year was cotton so we decided to have a pillow fight!! I know they were feather pillows but the pillow case and sheets were 100% cotton! It was such a fun thing to do - I hope you enjoy the photos!

Below is a cute Anniversary gift chart made by www.iloveswmag.com

One of the coolest things is that we used pallet boards as our headboard of our "bed" and ended up using the pallets to make a real headboard for our real bed! Below are instagrams that I took of it.