engagement pics part II

A few more for you to enjoy as we slide into the weekend. Happy Friday!

making lists

They say if you write things down you will sleep better because you don't have to remember or think about those items anymore. Here is hoping...

sneak peek

The first of the engagement pictures have arrived! My brother sent them over last night and I am excited to share them with you. I can't wait to see how the others turned out! We had such a fun time with my brother, climbing trees and tromping up grassy hillsides, desperately hoping we didn't come across any snakes or see too many ticks! A big thank you to my wonderful brother for taking the time to take our picture. Here is a sneak peek of some of the shots.   





Trying out our serious/modeling face, we should probably keep our day jobs :)

We stumbled upon a blackberry bush so had to stop and pick some blackberries

More to come.

where has the time gone

How is it already the third week in August?? This summer has flown by! Glad the hot weather decided to show up again (and hopefully ripen my tomatoes!). The last few weeks have been jam-packed with projects around the house, visits with friends, a Sebastopol wedding, and an engagement shoot.

A few weekends ago we got together with Luke’s sister, Lisa, her hubby, Sam, and their new baby, Lilia. Lisa thought it would be fun to all go on a bike ride to one of their favorite burger spots in Mill Valley for lunch (Pearl's Phat Burgers, have you heard of it?). We had such a great time on the bike ride and at lunch, and it was wonderful to get some Lilia time and catch up with Lisa and Sam.

Lilia all ready for the bike ride. She was such a trooper!

Luke and Lisa riding to lunch.

Lunch time! You might recognize this place from that show on Food Network called The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Worth the drive to Mill Valley for sure! Tip: get the sweet potato fries.



Lilia is not so sure about her Uncle Luke!



If you look close, you can see San Francisco behind us. It turned out to be a beautiful day.

Love this face.

Hello Lilia!

This past weekend we had the pleasure of attending my good friend’s wedding conveniently located in her parent’s backyard in Sebastopol. Elissa and I have known each other since middle school where we became friends both playing the flute in band (and later the baritone horn) and playing volleyball together from 6^th grade all the way through high school. This is the first wedding I’ve attended since getting engaged and I was definitely paying closer attention to all the little details I would have previously overlooked! The weather was amazing, quite possibly the nicest (and warmest) day we’ve had in Sebastopol all year.   

Ceremony setting was perfect with the beautiful Sebastopol hills in the back.

All the flowers were from Elissa's parent's backyard and the neighboring yard.





The happy couple waiting for dinner.

I loved these flags that Elissa and her friends made. Such a cute idea!

Luke and I waiting for dinner.

The groom about to enjoy the delicious meal.

After our delicious dinner, we danced the night away under the full moon. Beautiful night! Thank you, Elissa and Chris, for including us! Have fun on your honeymoon in Bali.

On Sunday, Luke and I had some engagement pictures taken. My brother has always had such a creative and artistic eye and has recently gotten into photography. After Luke and I got engaged I approached him about taking some engagement shots of us and he happily accepted. The three of us met up on Sunday and went to one of my favorite spots in Sonoma County, Crane Creek Regional Park. Luke and I were both a little apprehensive about the photo shoot only because it’s not the most natural thing posing for pictures especially with potential bystanders watching us. Jimmy made us feel so comfortable and after the first few minutes, all of our nervousness was gone and we just started having fun. From what I could see on the camera’s small viewing screen the pictures looked really good and I can’t wait to see how they turned out!

I warned my brother that this might just launch his photography career! I’ll share some of my favorite shots as soon as I get them. Stay tuned.

nugget of wisdom

For anyone who has planned a wedding or even just been to a wedding, you know that there are lots of details that go into the day. From day one of planning our wedding, I’ve tried to keep things in perspective and constantly ask myself “will this detail matter when I’m looking back on the pictures and remembering our special day 20 years from now?” In most cases, the answer is no. With less than 12 weeks to go and all the big things checked off the list (dress, caterer, DJ, photographer, flowers, cake) it’s hard not to get wrapped up and overwhelmed in all the little details left to figure out. So, when I came across this little nugget of wisdom, I couldn’t help but share it with you:

“A wedding is a party, not a performance. If at the end of the day you are married to the one you love, then everything went perfectly.”

I am getting pretty excited about sharing our big day with our closest family and friends, but more than anything else, I can’t wait to be married to my best friend, my mountain man, my adventure buddy, the one I love.

showered with love

This past weekend my aunt, Peggy and cousins, Molly and Megan threw me a wedding shower. They went over the top, above and beyond anything I could have imagined! Peggy, your house looked absolutely stunning! The decorations and flowers were beautiful, the food was amazing, the games so fun, and favors were creative and thoughtful. The hostesses came up with such an awesome idea: they asked everyone who came to the shower to bring a recipe, which Megan gathered and put in a recipe book for me to take home and enjoy forever! Seriously, if you are planning a shower for someone – do this! Such a great and easy way for the bride-to-be to go home with an amazing gift and memory of her special day.

Thank you ladies for hosting such an brilliant shower! And thank you to all my family and friends who came. A special thanks to my aunt Christie and cousin Melissa for coming all the way from Carson City for the shower. My cousin John asked them, "why did you come all the way to Cali?" which Christie replied "we're here for the party!" I loved seeing Christie and Melissa and what made their visit even more special, was the fact that they brought my late grandmother's (dad's mom) wedding dress for me to see. That was so unexpected and a very special moment. One other huge thanks to my soon to be mom-in-law who drove up from San Luis Obispo that morning just to be there for the shower. Carol, I'm so glad you could make it.  

I’m really starting to feel like a bride now!  



Hostesses, Peggy and Molly



The beautiful decorations, so girly, I just loved it.

Collage of pictures of me over the years and some pictures of a younger Luke as well. Everyone had to guess how old Luke and I were in the pictures - so much harder than you might expect!



The flowers were so lovely, I couldn't believe Peggy grew many of them and arranged them herself.

One of the many party favors. Cookies made by my mom!

Molly, Katrina, and baby Emily

Mother of the bride

Dessert table!

Momma Megan and baby Em

Time for gifts!

Ohh la la - thanks Lauren!

Love this adorable apron from Tracy. She will keep me cooking in style.

My mom put together all my favorite family recipes in my very own cookbook.

My mom gave me "Just Married" flip flops to wear as Luke and I are walking down the beach on our honeymoon - such a cute idea huh?

Thanks Mol, for the lovely ribbon bouquet! Can't wait to use it for the rehearsal.