Image by amazing photographer and dear friend Carol Harrold.

Well… 2011 flew by!!! This time last year I had no idea the love of my life was thinking of buying a ring and that I would spend most of 2011 planning a wedding!  All I have to say is that I’m having the time of my life;) It’s been a whirlwind year which is why I’m relived to say that Justin and I are spending a quiet Christmas here at home with Mr. Charlie. Funny enough, it’s actually going to be the first Christmas that Justin and I have spent together!

Sometimes I get slack for saying this, but A LOT can happen in a year. I’m always saying this to friends and loved ones, and you know what….. it’s so true! I look forward to what this year has in store for me and my family. I’m looking forward to the surprises and the challenges, the planned trips and the spontaneous adventures….but most of all I’m looking forward to becoming a wife….and all the adventures that comes with it! This is truley a magical time for me, and I thank all of you who follow my blog and my creative journey through life.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!

Cheers!

We happened to be there over Halloween so we got to go trick or treating with Eli….he was the best looking pirate I’ve ever seen:) I also got the cutest photo of him with my mom;)

Today was made of up of cups of apples, tablespoons of spice, and handfuls of everything nice. Such a lovely day…thank you Miss Teeny!

Well this is the year I’m finally getting hitched;) It’s also the year I’m hoping to help give out a little hope. This summer I’ve had the great opportunity of joining an amazing team that puts together an incredible event every year called Get Hitched Give Hope (GHGH). This is an event where brides can bid on auction items such as Photography packages, Wedding Planning services, etc. and the proceeds benefit the charity chosen for that year. Wedding professionals donate their products and services to the event, and it’s a great way for the industry to come together as a whole and give back while brides get gorgeous goods.The ladies and gentlemen that run this organization are unbelievably talented and giving and every year they raise SERIOUS money for the charity of their choice. This year they are teaming up with Dream Foundation.

Dream Foundation, founded in Santa Barbara in 1994 by Thomas Rollerson, is the first national wish granting organization for adults suffering life-threatening illness

The mission of the Dream Foundation is to enhance the quality of life for individuals and their families who are battling life-threatening illness.

Dream Foundation helps adults find peace and closure with the realization of a final wish.

Along with an amazing event they host every year with the live auction and ticket sales proceeds going to the Dream Foundation; they also do year long fundraising. That’s where I come in! There are three ways that you can help me raise some money;)

First, I’m donating $100 dollars from every portrait session I book in the next 6 months to GHGH. If you need a portrait of the family for Christmas, give me a call and know that $100 of that money is headed to help grant a wish! That means any portraits session from pets, babies, engagements you name it:) A two hour portrait session costs $300 and included is a high resolution disk of images. Feel free to call or email if you’re interested.

Second, GHGH has teamed up with a company called Gividend. They are a website that filters daily deals by location and lifestyle for Seattleites. They pull from Groupon and many other similar sites, combine them all and then select the deals that you have specifically said you are looking for (entertainment, dining, health, etc…) For every person that just signs up they will donate a $1 to GHGH. It doesn’t cost a thing. All you have to do is a few clicks and voila! You’ve just raised $1! Click here to sign up!

Lastly, Buymytronics.com (based in my home state of Colorado!!) gives GHGH proceeds of any old electronics we send them. Do you have a broken or old cell phone that is just sitting in a drawer somewhere…..give it to me and I can send it in to Buymytronics and the parts will go to raise money for the Dream Foundation. This goes for any old/used/broken electronics you have hanging around the house. To find out more about how they work click here. Please shoot me an email if you have anything you would like to donate:)

Whew…that’s a lot of info I know…but it’s all going towards an AMAZING cause!

Thank you for taking the time to read this post, and thank you in advance for helping Get Hitched Give Hope raise money to grant some final wishes.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

I’m a sucker for a beautiful horse and field full of wild flowers;) Happy Sunday everyone!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Queen for the day

June 20th, 2011

Photo by Carol Harrold Photography

Sounds of laughter here comes Sunshine
Smiling faces all around
They possess you bless you Sunshine
Now you can never let them down
I say Sunshine
Sunshine, Sunshine
I'm running short of things to be and Sunshine means quiet a lot to me
I say Sunshine... Sunshine

-James Taylor