vintage find

i just love a good vintage find, don't you? i've always felt what makes a vintage find that much better is the story behind it...and believe me, this one is pretty good. one of my local favorite shops featured a photo of this dress noting the shop would be out at that friday's art walk. so, i thought i would check into it in person, keeping my fingers crossed it would fit and look as cute in person as i'd hoped. so, i practically raced over after work to see if it was still there. it was still there, it fit like a glove, and looked even cuter in person. 

as i go to check out, i start chatting up the gal who worked there. come to find out she not only owns the shop, but is adorably friendly and sweet. we got to talking about supporting local, our favorite tee styles, and great food. to say i'm a fan of her and her shop would be a big understatement. 

[surprise! it's a romper]

awesome & awkward

[a lap full of puppies aka my dream]

awesome:

• for as long as i can remember, my mom has sent me interesting articles for me to read. one article in particular spoke about a woman named hanna zavorotnya from chernobyl. have you heard of her? after the nuclear disaster at chernobyl, an entire city of residents had been immediately removed and relocated to other cities, and countries, leaving their former lives behind. a small group of rouge babushkas decided enough was enough, and they wanted their homeland. so, they moved back. one individual in particular of note is hanna...and don't forget, chernobyl is still under quarantine for being a radioactive hot zone. yet hanna lives there happily, drinking contaminated water, eating the vegetables grown in radioactive soil, and making polluted sausage from her pigs living in this environment. hanna is 83. as strange as her, and the other babushkas, case is, it really shows you how much contentment and a sense of home really do effect people. if you haven't heard of her, give her story a read. it really is fascinating, and gave me quite a bit to chew on when it comes to seeking your own happiness. 

awkward:

• not too long ago, our nephew got to go to his first book fair. we were so excited for him since book fair day was our favorite in elementary school. so, T gave him some extra money to bring with him in case he wanted more than one book. ...or at least, he tried to. our nephew's eyes lit up, then quickly looked concerned when he told us he only wanted one book, pig the pug. we kept trying to tell him he'd never been to a book fair, and may want something else, or he could use it for anything else. but, our very willful nephew was certain he would only want one book. so, he spent the rest of the dinner trying to give T his money back. not quite the cute uncle gesture T had in mind. 
• a few weeks back, T woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of me narrating aloud while "baking". i suppose i was trying to bake bread because i was also kneading his head. to get me to fall back asleep, T typically shushes me, or tells me to go to sleep. but, when he did it this time, i kept up kneading and narrating...quietly. 

[bestie date snacks]

[sunset backyard lounging]

[dinner date with my girl, jana]

owen's warriors

a couple of weekends ago, T and i drove up to tulsa for the annual cystic fibrosis walk. we were so excited to come out and support our friends, and their sweet little boy, owen. not only was the weather absolutely gorgeous, but our team had quite the turn out this year! i was so excited and impressed by all the support showered on our friends by so many people from near and far. 

[owen's warriors, minus T who took the photo]

[the georges]

[owen's warriors furry supporters]

[getting ready to walk]

[so many walkers!]

our group always has fun making it a game to make all six laps during the walk. even when some of the other teams fell by the way side, we stuck to it until we got through them all. 

once the walk had finished, it was time for the awards ceremony. team owen's warriors raised $11,000 and placed 3rd for funds raised! how freaking great is that? we couldn't have been more excited to support such a great cause, and our loved ones, the george family. 

[he sure is]

#mormanicanrepublic

a ceremony set over sweet words, waves crashing, and an absolutely stunning bride and groom. a reception filled with cheers, dancing, ocean dips, and a wrestling match. put both together, and you have a recipe for a unique and fun wedding. 

we first started out the day relatively relaxed before all the primping began. think a delicious brunch, watching my best friend's wedding, and lounging in bed. then came the makeup, hair, snacking, and dress prepping. 

[bride's bouquet]

[hair: check!, makeup: check!]

[stunning]

[post-ceremony celebrations]

once the two lovebirds said their i do's, it was time for photos against the most gorgeous backdrop. 

[bride and m.o.b]

[the hunkiest date]

[welcome to the wives club]

once the photos were done, it was time to par-tay. at some point, larry had a wrestling match with his former football coach who also used to wrestle professionally. it had the classic chair slam, a body slam, and even a tap out. plus, a dance party to all the bride's favorite spice girls songs. it was nuts!  

[daddy-daughter dance]

[mother-son dance]

[post-moh speech (above and below)]

congrats again larry and alex, and thanks for bringing us all out to the dominican republic!

catamaran-ing around

i don't know that i could set out on a catamaran everyday. but, i can tell you i wouldn't turn it down on a weekly basis. doesn't setting out on the water with breaks to dip in the ocean sound like the perfect way to de-stress? well, i certainly think so, and seriously loved our catamaran excursion planned while we were out in the DR. 

[caribbean bliss]

we first sailed around the area for a bit before dropping anchor at a nearby reef for snorkeling. the water, reef, and fish were gorgeous. i fell in love with an adorable puffer-like fish who seemed to be quite the talker. then, we sailed off again for the next part of our 'venture. 

[bros matching]

later, we dropped anchor again to a beautiful sandbar where our captain brought the bar out on the water, turned up the tunes, and we got to boogieing. 

[the bride and (most of) her 'maids]

[lovebirds]

[the whole gang]

[all the gals]

[beefy bros]

anchors away!