Written by Candace on August 12, 2013 | 4 Comments

Nautical Wedding Buoy Garland

Being self-employed can get lonely at times which is why collaborations are always welcomed by us.

If you or someone you know is having a nautical themed wedding, then we have a treat for you. Our friends over at Going Lovely designed this cute nautical buoy garland which looked perfect strung on a cake table. The best part is they mapped out the entire process so that you can do it yourself at home. We had the pleasure of photographing it all for them. You can see more photos and all the details over at Green Wedding Shoes.

Christie and PJ from Going Lovely are a complete joy to work alongside. They are both creative and fun, but they are also kindhearted. Just the type of people you want to work with for your wedding day. If you are in need of a designer/coordinator for your big day, be sure to check out their website and get to know them better.

Wedding cake table decorated with nautical theme

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Written by Candace on August 5, 2013 | 10 Comments

7 Years of Love and Laughter

Today Vitaliy and I are celebrating our 7 year wedding anniversary.

The other night I was flipping through the latest Real Simple magazine and came across a spread titled Live Long and Prosper. Each person being interviewed were 100 years or older. They were giving their advice on aging gracefully. One gentleman’s response stood out to me amongst the rest. In his photo, he sits looking completely relaxed with the biggest grin on his face. At first glance you don’t notice it because the image is black and white, but sitting right above his smile is a beautiful white mustache perfectly groomed.

This is his answer as to how he made it to be 100:

“I think I’ve lived so long and been so healthy because I worked so hard. I was an electrician until I was 80, and I have stayed busy since my retirement, going to ball games, movies, the theater, and the opera. My wife, Bertie, and I just celebrated our 80th wedding anniversary, and she does all these activities with me – she’s 102. She still looks wonderful. We hold hands and enjoy our life together very much.”

I thought to myself, if Vitaliy still thinks I look wonderful after 80 years of marriage, if he still wants to hold my hand and go on dates with me, I will be a blessed woman. But right now, we are at 7 years, not 80, and he still thinks I look wonderful and he still grabs my hand to hold every day. For that I am thankful. And I consider myself blessed.

This is one of my favorite pictures from our trip to Ukraine. It was taken by our brother-in-law Vasily in Chernivtsi, Vitaliy’s hometown and the place where I fell even more in love with my husband.

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Written by Candace on July 31, 2013 | 3 Comments

Breakfast in Bed
Anniversary Edition

Vitaliy and I are only days away from our 7 year wedding anniversary.

My mind has been racing with ideas of how to celebrate. Some years we’ve done elaborate celebrations and other years we’ve kept things simple. We had originally planned to have a big party with family and friends for our 7 year anniversary. But this year has been such an adventure in itself we’ve decided to save that for another time.

Our plans for the special day are still in the works, but we’re thinking of doing something simple and meaningful. Something in line with this breakfast in bed idea that we had the pleasure of photographing for Style Smaller. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t enjoy being pampered first thing in the morning. But what makes this idea so special is the chain link love note that goes along with the meal. Everyone learns how to make a paper chain link in kindergarten so this can be executed by anyone. Kate, who designed this idea, recommends writing something you love about the person on each link. I love your smile. I love how hard you work. I love your kisses.

Anniversaries can come with a lot of expectations. Communicating ahead of time to manage those will help the day go perfect for everyone. But most importantly, just be sure to celebrate. No matter how elaborate or how simple. Every year is worth a celebration.

These photos were taken in collaboration with Kate from Style Smaller. Be sure to check out her blog for more lifestyle inspiration.

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