What Inspires You Wednesday

Love

Twenty six years ago today, G and I got married. 

 I know. Can you believe it? 

Can't deny it with the 26 year time machine landing smack dab in the 80s with those sleeves, right?

Neither one of us can honestly believe it's been that long. If you're young, we're here to tell you it's not all ballyhoo- it really does go by in the blink of an eye.

Just yesterday we were starting life in a studio apartment above our friend's the Harrington's garage. It was perfectly wonderful.

There have been so many good times along the way. Of course, life is not all rosebuds and fairytales and neither is marriage. It can be challenging and it can downright hard work. In the end though, that's what makes loving someone awesome. Knowing that no matter what, you've got each other's back, your in it together, and that's the way it will always be. Life and love are good that way.

Our 2013 Annual Christmas Morning Champagne photo.

Happy Anniversary Babe- wouldn't want to be on this crazy ride with anyone else.  It's you and me. Always and forever.

Do you remember when we met?

The other thing that's inspiring me today are baby photos.  I've been pinning ideas for the 'first family photo shoot' I have today with my neighbor friends and their new little one Piper. She's a peach. And a month from now, the shoot I'll have with my niece and her husband when their first baby arrives.

There are so many wonderful shots to love by very talented photographers.  

Check out all the baby preciousness here on my pinterest inspiration board.

So peeps, back to relationships. Make me feel super old. What's the longest relationship you've ever been in?

Ciao for now,

 

Color of Love: Photo Challenge Day 9

via Pam at Mercantile Muse

All You Need Is Love

Is it really Wednesday already?  Lots done, lots to be done. Good news, bad news. It's always something, right?

Bad news first. We left the hose faucet on. It had a sprayer on the top so this shouldn't have been a problem. However, from the heat of the sun and perhaps a faulty connector the sprayer popped off. What this means is this, the hose ran and ran without our knowledge until our well was pretty spent. Done. No agua. Zippo. By the time I noticed that the hose head had popped off  (due to weird chugging noises coming from kitchen sink where water supply enters house), it had spewed our dang water all over the backyard. All in all, not good considering that we were on the low side due to lack of rain this summer. Good news? It came back up some overnight. It rained a bit this morning and there is more expected later.  We have ways to conserve water and have gotten pretty good at it over the years. I'm not sweating this one. I might not get a laundry done for a couple of days while the well comes back up, but that certainly isn't the end of the world, is it? We have a pool, so we won't be too dirty. And any moment now my mother will be emailing or calling me to tell me I can use her shower and her washing machine if need be.  More good news? Spur of the moment visitors from Ireland on the heels of the ones who were just here, and a week before our other Dublin family arrives. It's all good. The Bates of Clonsilla, minus sister in law Angie will arrive Friday night. Yay. I'm confident all will be well by the time they arrive.... get it....well?

Need more good news? How about love?

Today's photo challenge is all about it. The color of love. 

Red and blue hearts from Karen. They really do speak to the color of love, because if you've been around awhile, you know that love isn't always moonbeams and roses.

'my achy breaky heart', via Karen at Bridgits Bell

A pink peony...soft, tender, with a little rough edge. Perfectly wonderful.

'a peony for my love', via Karen at Bridgits Bell

Love can be as strong as granite and comes in as many colors.

'hand in hand', via Karen at Bridgit's Bell

Ashley couldn't pick just one color so she went with the full gamut, which includes her husband being a goofball.

'parlez vous rainbow?', via Ashley at Papyrusaurus

Glistening white snow. Just how you feel when you're in love.

'the way you make me feel', via Pam at Mercantile Muse

Love is always a bright spot.

'shining through', via Pam at Mercantile Muse

And love can make you glow.

'from within', via Pam at Mercantile Muse

Love of life can be as pure as the driven snow. 

'leaping for love', via Pam at Mercantile Muse

The color most widely associated with love.

'anchor my soul', via Pam at Mercantile Muse

Home is all about love.

Cari-Jane has found that home isn't a place, it's wherever your heart is.

'good to be home', via Cari-Jane at Hybrid Handmade

Thanks for your submissions ladies. If there are anymore of you out there who would like to join in the last few challenges, please feel free. You can find more info on the Mercantile Muse photo challenge here.  Next up: 'sky high'. I'll need your submissions by end of the day tomorrow for Friday's post.

Hope you are all having a fabulous week. Mine was made even better this morning by a couple of things:

* Great business advice from Nichole of The Paris Print Shop via etsy's Quit Your Day Job article. It's so refreshing to read something in this series that actually makes real sense. Too often they feature people who haven't even come close to being in the category of 'quit your day job entrepreneurs', but Nichole's interview was on the level with real meat.

*and THIS. Nothing short of amazing. 

Ta ta for now.

Peace out,

You're Invited To A Wedding

Love, Laughter and Length of Life

That's our wish for our niece Cait and her husband Jon. OK, that sounded really weird. Cait! You have a husband! Aaaahhhhh!

So, our niece Cait got married Saturday. Jon and her are a great couple. We liked him from the get go. He fits right in.  

It was a great day all around from the church, which was a block back from the ocean, the sun which finally popped out when we got to the reception, to the fact that our niece was a beautiful bride....a beautiful woman.

She only looks a little pensive in that one because her nephew Cayden did not want to leave and was pretty sad, making her sad....but only for a moment!

What a grand day. Love you guys, Cait & Jon!!! Many congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Smith  ~ xxoo

Two weekends in a row. Love, laughter, dancing til I can't dance anymore. How much is one woman supposed to take? Next weekend is sure to have more since it's our annivesary.  I feel like I won the 'love lottery'.

Speaking of winning, did you enter the Giveaway to End All Giveaways yet? Honestly. I don't know what you're waiting for. Ya want someone else to win all that great stuff? What are you nuts? Enter now!

See ya on the flip side,