One Wonderful Wedding Photo

What an incredible wedding for our youngest daughter yesterday.

It was the most loving and sweetest

 heart-felt wedding

I have ever witnessed.

It says so much about the bride and groom.

(They truly have an unforgettable love story.)

The huge tree, the little lake beyond, the weather-

everything was magical and perfect.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

I didn't take a single picture,

 but my sister MB sent this to us from her phone.

So I am sharing with you all -

 and can't wait to share lots more pics in the future

as time and energy allows!

Thank you - one and all - who sent up a prayer for the loving couple,

and for having no rain!

 Thank you!

 Thank you!

Thank you!

♥

~Michele

Bridal Shower ~ Brewery Style

A while ago my eldest daughter 

hosted a very unique bridal shower for her younger sister.

Their mutual "bestie" friend Sara co-hosted this fun event.

To truly know my youngest - you'd know 
she just doesn't fit into a cookie cutter world.

(Both my girls are artsy, urbane, eclectic and unique.)

My bride-to-be daughter really doesn't like things
too frilly or fussy.

(In all honesty, she even had to be talked into having a shower!)

Both of my girls' mates - along with Sara's
 ♥ locally made artisan brews,

 and they often triple date and frequent a favorite:

The Seventh Son Brewery.


Here is a pic of the front bar portion.

Don't you just adore their industrial vibe?

The floors are painted concrete.

The tables are real wood.

Everything is just perfectly rustic and shabby.

The shower began when guests came up to this fabulous old 
reclaimed-wood sliding barn door and went inside:

The brewery's spaceous private event area is brick,

with exposed ductwork, windows to let in natural light
and a huge glass garage door that opens onto a patio.

(But was much too hot to open that day, but we had hoped to do so.)

The colors of the shower were pink, white, black and gold
to match the invitations.

Painted bottles, vintage silverplate forks, pink cloth napkins, gold chargers, glass dinner plates,
fun white and black runner, fun "engagement ring" favors and
tons of color-perfect jars on candies on the tables.

Pink flowers all over the place. Love the sweet roses!

Pink lemonade at the dessert table,
with pink plastic flutes with black and white paper straws.

Black white chevron paper cake plates
 and gold plastic cake forks were used for dessert.

A fast and simple clean-up at the end was ideal.

Sorry I had to keep private info private on the invites with smudge-
but that's the way of the internet, one cannot be too careful these days.

A tradition my sister started with HER bridal shower
 and now one that both my daughters used for their showers:

Inside the invitation was a matching recipe card
asking when the guest attended to have filled it out
with a favorite recipe to add to the bride-to-be's collection.

It was so great to see all the wonderful favorite recipes!

My sister brought one in my mother's handwriting
and my cousin brought one in her mother's handwriting-
it doesn't get much more tear-filled special than THAT!

They were all placed in this cute
 personalized wooden recipe box below: 

I didn't realize that Sara brought her potato salad recipe
until I was doing this post and saw it in the pic.

She makes the BEST potato salad, YAY!!!

 I am so happy for that recipe! 

And nothing was more fun than seeing Katie's happiness.

I know she likes trucks and gardening and power tools.

But golly was it fun to see her morph into a girlie girl
and enjoy herself so much.

After the bridal shower and clean up
 a few of us stayed back a while for a pint
 and more than just a few sighs....

The wedding is *THIS* weekend-
 Saturday the 29th.



(I am sorry to have been so MIA, but we've been so busy!)


~~~~~*~~~~~


All pics in this post were taken my hubs and/or son-in-law.


As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Share Your Cup   *   Share Your Style   *   Roses of Inspiration 

Tablescape Thursday  *  Pink Saturday

Summer Kitchen in Afternoon

Summer is fleeting and I haven't shared a bit
 of my summer decor yet.

It's been one of those kinds of summers.

So, before someone says summer is over
 I am making an effort to share now....

starting with the kitchen and hopefully working my way around.

Fresh lemons, bee teapot, a touch of old wicker
 and ironstoneis residing on my table.

 This changes practically every day often, 

but this is how it is at the moment.

The neighborhood children went back to school yesterday.

And for once our weather is perfect -

with a summer that has been the worst I can remember.

It's never rained as much, followed by horrible heat and humidity.

I feel so bad for the children - watching them get on the bus

about broke my heart.

But it's been peaceful and quiet, too, because of it.

Summer afternoon—summer afternoon;

 to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                     ~H. James

Oh, for a summer noon,

 when light and breeze sport on the grass,

 like ripples o’er a lake alive with freshness!

When the full round sun,

 with the Creator’s smile upon His face,
Walks like a Prince of Glory

 through the path of Heaven!

Thou vast, and ever-glorious sky,

mantling the earth with Thy majestic robe.
                                                       

                                                                           R. Montgomery

SOMETHING PROFOUND TO PONDER ABOUT BEES:

Is it realistic to believe the notion that insecticides kill 'nasty insects', whilst conveniently leaving alone the 'nice' insects, like bees, butterflies and ladybugs?  Those saying "Insecticides kill insects but not bees" reminds me of the naked Emperor in ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ and all those characters insisting he was, indeed wearing clothes. 

                                                                                               -www.buzzaboutbees.net

As always, thank you for stopping by!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Home Sweet Home   *  Tablescape  Thursday   *   Foodie * Else

Sundays at Home

My Sweet Girl

Happy Birthday, dear daughter!

May you have many more happy years to come!

Yesterday was my first born child's birthday,

 (and also my older brother's!)

We had a family funeral to attend

 so I am a day late posting this.

She was all set to go out with her hubs

 for an early birthday dinner on Friday evening -

and sent me this pretty pic from her phone.

Even grainy it is an adorable picture!

♥

As always, thank you for your visit!

~Michele

Blessings of Friendship

Sometimes friends really and truly amaze me.

You were there when I was feeling down, and helped pick me back up.

You sent cards, you emailed that you were keeping me in your prayers,

and some of you went WAY WAY above and beyond the call of duty 

 and shared incredibly generous gifts.

How does one go about properly

 thanking friends

who show these kinds of kindnesses?

You all were so truly kind to me in May after my kitty died,

and yet again after I found myself with this broken foot.

Thank you, thank you, thank you - each and every one of you 

(you know who you are)

who cared so much for someone you haven't even yet met in person.

YOU.    ARE.   AMAZING.

And your random acts of kindness is unbelievable.

Please indulge me while I share a particular kindness

 that still has me quite baffled (in a great way)

with my heart still beating wildly, and my eyes tearing up

everytime I think of it.

 It's from our mutual blogger friend Deborah from

 The Beautiful Matters.

~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~

I get a knock on my door a while back, 

and it is a huge package delivery...for me!

 Oh, what a thrill and joy!

I am crying before I even open it. 

I cannot believe this package in my hands.

I cannot believe she would do this!

Deborah, can you even know how much this means to me?

She just knows I love tea time, she knows I love birds,

 she knows I love pretty candles, she knows I love vintage hankies.

JUST LOOK AT THESE GOODIES!

She knows I love local things, and things made in the USA too.

(She is one state above me, and together we really love our Great Lakes!)

Deborah is on a big-time healthy life-style change right now

and has lost 20 pounds at least.....

and she is looking and feeling better every day!

(She really inspires me!)

She knows I hope to lose weight as well, 

so she sent me local healthy tea snacks for tea time.

Isn't each gift so special and thoughtful?

She knows I don't sleep well, so there is caffeine free

chamomile tea tucked inside this cute bird-themed mug mat!

I have a painted office desk, a painted kitchen table

and a wicker garden patio room table -

I really needed a mug mat - it will get so much use!
I have always wanted one of thoses!

Look at this adorable & sweet hankie card -

it's just too cute for words!

I appreciate this surprise more than she could possibly know.

I am sorry it has taken me so long to share this

sweet and generous random act of kindness.

Friends really ARE like flowers

 in the garden of life.

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Mosaic Monday

Bird, Rosemary, Shadows and a Winner

Hello everyone!

I hope you are all well and enjoying your summer.

Each day is numbered - so let us live it to the fullest!

I captured a shadowed shot of a fav little crackled bird
sitting in a large pot of rosemary.

Also wanted to announce the winner of the starfish ornament!

The random pick was for the very first commentor:

KailaniJuly 26, 2015 at 1:07 PM

Oh, I'd love to win it! It's adorable, and would fit in nicely with our living room 'beachy' decor where the tree resides each December. Thanks for the opportunity! :)

Her blog is pretty neat - you can find her at My Little Nook.

Thank you everyone for your comments and

signing up for the giveaway!

There will be others in the near future, 

you may count on it! ♥

As always, thank you for your visit!

♥

~Michele

Linking:

Shadow Shot Sunday