A Birthday Trip

hello!

I was painting this morning and getting frustrated so I thought I would walk away for a bit and come and tell you about our weekend, or at least our Saturday.

The 18th was my daughters 14th birthday. Where does the time go?!

She wanted to go up to Glen Lake for the day with her BFF and since it doesn't take much for me to say yes to going there, I was happy to grant her birthday wish.

So my daughter, her BFF and her mom, which is also my friend, climbed in the Jeep and off we went!

It was a cloudy day and around 55-60 degrees, not too bad.  It is about a 2 1/2-3 hour trip but beautiful all the way up.

We stopped at a lighthouse in  Benzie County called Point Betsie. It is the oldest standing structure in that county and was built in 1858.  

As of today it is managed by a group of volunteers that make sure that this beautiful historic lighthouse is kept up and cared for.

After our stop there we made it to Glen Lake and had some lunch and then ventured off to a few beaches along Lake Michigan where the girls looked for treasures in the shore.

(my daughter is in the blue sweatshirt)

We then made our way up to Leeland.

It was really cold there so we didn't stay too long.

We even stopped to photograph a local. :)

All in all the trip was fun and the girls and myself and my friend enjoyed getting away for the day.

I can't wait until the summer when I can go park my buns on the dock there and just relax in the sun by the water. :)

Have a wonderful week!!

Cozy In Almost Every Room

I think that I had left you last week with a sneak peek of some thing that I was working on.

As you know, or may not if you are new here, in which case I welcome you and thank you for tagging along with me, I LOVE fireplaces/faux mantels!!

LOVE!

ALOT!

You have seen my "frantel" in my bedroom and then of course our real fireplace in our family room.

Well, I have this wall in my kitchen that was lonely and needed to be apart of all the fun.

Last month I went and picked up some Annie Sloan Chalk paint for me and for Laurie (Heaven's Walk),

and I came across this beauty!!

PERFECT!!!!

I had to have her so I told myself that if I did not spend the money that I saved for last flea market I would come back and if she was there, I would take her home.

Well, as fate would have it, or just dumb luck, I hardly spent anything at the market, went to the store the next day,

she was there and now she is here!!!

So much lighter and brighter.

I added some of my beachy things and treasured treasures.

This summer I picked up this map/poster of Leelanau County which is the county that Glen Lake is in.

I just love the vintage feel of it and the colors are perfect!

Traverse City is known as the Cherry Capital and almost everything up there has places that bake the cherries into everything!!

YUM!

I also found a perfect, and appropriate home for the sweet gift that Laurie sent me as a thank you for getting her some paint.

A gorgeous aqua jar and one of her beautiful clay tags.

Thank you sweets!!!

I also ordered faux logs to go in the opening of the mantel.

It is supposed to have the lights and crackles like a real fireplace.

Unfortunately no heat, but I just love the idea of the sights and sounds of a real fire to feel cozy all through fall and winter.

I will show you once I get it in!

A Bittersweet but Perfect Wedding

Hello my dear friends!!!!

How are you???

I am sitting here Sunday evening listening to Josh Groban (LOVE) and the rain, reflecting on my past week.

I have to tell you that it was a week of ups and downs but certainly ended on a beautiful and happy note.

As you know my brother got married over the weekend and before I show you pictures and tell you what a complete DORK that I am I have to tell you that the week did not start off to good.

I received a phone call last Monday morning while grocery shopping from my mom.

Do you know those rings that just sound bad? That you know that on the other end there is bad news waiting for you to digest? That was the kind of ring it was.

My mom told me that my brother's best friend and best man for the wedding unexpectedly passed away that morning.

My brother was devastated and my heart ached for him.

His friend was only 55 and passed away while running.

The week seemed kind of surreal and nobody was really sure what to do.

After many phones calls to my parents and my future SIL on what we could do and how everything could be done and even if the wedding was going to happen things were sorted out and the wedding would go on as planned and as my brothers friend would have wanted it to.

He was a great guy and a great friend that helped my brother through his divorce as well as the joys that have come his way with his new wife.

My dad was the only one that stood up on my brothers side and they honored my brothers friend during the ceremony ,and I have a good feeling that his friend was standing right beside him.

OK, now to tell you what a horrible blogger that I am..

I FORGOT MY CAMERA!!!!!

I KNOW!!!!! REALLY????

Who goes to a wedding without a camera??

Apparently I do!

So, all the photos are with my iphone and as soon as we figure out how to get some off my daughters camera I will share those as well but for now you will have to look at these.

We ate lots of yummy food with family and friends.

Cherry Republic is the best!

Then we decorated the reception hall.

It turned out so beautiful, even after I broke the lights. :)

She had dried Hydrangeas in blue mason jars as centerpieces.

The chapel was also decorated with dried hydrangeas and mason jars.

Everything was very simple and perfectly placed.

Of course an amazing Glen Lake sunset at the end of the day on Friday.

Saturday morning my daughter and I got up and walked to the coffee shop and picked up my chai and hot chocolate for her and then walked to Lake Michigan to enjoy the early morning sun on the beach.

It was so beautiful that day, a chill in the air but the warmth of the sun on our shoulders.

Of course I had to play around with the apps on the iphone.

Saturday before the wedding the boys went fishing.

There is a beautiful river called Crystal River and the salmon where everywhere!

I also took a few shots of the surroundings and old Mill and home that are on the river.

My nephew caught a huge salmon!

Of course put it back safe and sound.

This is my brother fishing....

Can you say "A River Runs Through It"?

Love that movie.

This is my brother and his son fishing.

After they had their fill of fishing or until they soaked in every last bit before they had to get ready, we headed to the church!

My brother, his other son and my dad.

It was very casual with khaki's and white shirts.

This is my brother, my SIL and his daughter.

The ceremony was beautiful!

We cried and laughed and of course we loved.

Everything went perfectly and the day was gorgeous!!

I hope to show you a few more photos once we get them off my daughters camera but I wanted to show you one of the photos that their photographer took on the dock of where the chapel was at Old Settler's Park on Glen Lake.

(Rudy Malmquist)

I am so very happy for my brother and after all the ups and downs of the week, they made it together and I know that their love will last.

They are perfect for each other and love one another to the core.

Congratulations Tom and Melissa I love you both very much!!

Here are a few more pics from the wedding from their photographer, they are gorgeous!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rudymalmquist/6158550965/in/photostream/

Rudy Malmquist is his name and he did a phenomenal job!

I hope you all have a great week and I will see you soon!!

xoxox

Good Night Moon

I just wanted to share with you some photos of the moon rising over Glen Lake.

It was almost full when we were there and even though it was a bit hazy, it was still such

a beautiful sight.

I hope you had a great weekend,

I will be back Wednesday with a surprise for you!!

I know you will love it!

Hugs!

Bloggy Friends in Great Places

Hey there my dears!!

I hope you are having a good week.

I wanted to thank you all for your sweet comments about our little starfish mobile over at 3 Sun Kissed Boys, I read them all and appreciate you all so much!

THANK YOU!!!

I told you last week that while we were on vacation I got the pleasure of meeting another blogging friend.

It is funny that we have to go far away from our homes in order to meet in the same spot. :)

That's ok because there really is no other better place than Glen Lake to meet up with a friend.

Cathy, from Check it Off, and her beautiful family share the same love as we do for Glen Lake. We started corresponding after we spotted pictures of Glen Lake on each others blog and became fast friends. She is amazing and so sweet and beautiful and her family is just the nicest family that one could meet. Her three kids are gorgeous and took to my kids right away. :) Her husband a great guy, so friendly and sincere. I loved it that he waved to every boater on the lake. Believe me you don't see that very often, most people just look at you like you did something wrong.

Well, she wasn't sure that she was going to be able to go up this year and then one day she wrote me and told me the dates that they were going up and it was the same time that we were there!

YEAH!!!!

So for an afternoon they picked us up and out on their boat we went!

Isn't she beautiful!!

Yes, that would be my vacation look. :)

my kids have never tubed before so her youngest kindly took the boy out with her. I have to tell you that I was a bit nervous even though he swims in the deep all the time with the life jacket, falling out would be a new experience.

BUT

he held on tight, wanted to go faster and Cathy's daughter took good care of him.

My daughter then wanted to go, she was a bit scared about doing this as well, she is my cautious one and went a bit slower but enjoyed it very much.

Then all three of Cathy's kids got on!

It was so funny to watch them fly back and forth across the wake just laughing.

Then it was time to get serious! On went the helmets!!

My face hurt from laughing so hard, they had a great time!

They even got me in the water.

That was the only time that I went skiing that week and it was so fun and felt good to get on the water.

(not showing you a photo of that)

I absolutely love this picture of Cathy and her oldest daughter, so cute!!

This is her beautiful family and we are so glad that we got the chance to meet face to face and get to know each other. Although, just like I said before, it really feels like we have been friends for a long time.

I just love how blogging can do that.

Thank you SO MUCH again Cathy for an amazing afternoon and I truly hope that next year we can do more of the same!

If you would like to see more and meet Cathy, she is posting about our time together as well, just click here.

She has a great blog with great ideas on how to keep lists and stay organized as well as stories about her adventures and family.

You will love her!

OOPS!!!!

I think it is going to be one of those days that when things like this happen...

I am really wishing that I was here enjoying this,

while doing this.

I was thinking about painting my floors anyway I guess.

Good thing it cleans up pretty easy.

Hope you are having a good weekend!