Cedar Point is the Devil

Jared and I spent Saturday at Cedar Point. (A pretty intense amusement park for those of you who are not from this area.) We were celebrating our afore mentioned anniversary because I guess nothing says "I'm so happy I married you" like going from 0-120 mph in 4 seconds while going over a 90 degree turn 420 feet in the air. (Yeah. I wasn't exaggerating when I said it's pretty intense.)
("Top Thrill Dragster" : Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

I actually have no idea what I was thinking when I suggested we go to Cedar Point for our anniversary because I'm not a big theme park/roller coaster kind of gal. However, I did manage to have an okay time in spite of the fact that I spent most of the day absolutely terrified. I have a tendency to scream like a little girl on most amusement park rides but I actually kicked it up a notch on Saturday. It's been a long time since I've been on any type of ride and the first one we went on (Maxair) was really quite scary. So much so, that I teared up when they buckled me in! Yes. I cried up until the ride started and then proceeded to scream like a maniac until it was over. The worst part? I was sitting next to a girl who was about 8 years old and she didn't make a peep. I think it was a good thing we went on such a scary ride first because it worked a lot of anxiety out of my system and I managed to hold it together the rest of the day. Although we had a decent time, Jared and I both decided that we're too old for this stuff. The rides gave us headaches and made us dizzy and our backs and legs hurt from standing in line all day. In all honesty, by the end of the day I felt like I needed someone to push me out of the park in a wheelchair. No lie. So here's to five years of marriage and (barely) surviving a day at Cedar Point. I don't think we'll be heading back anytime soon.

Bridal Shoot

I did a fun bridal shoot on Friday with some new equipment I just bought. Seriously, this bride looked stunning and she posed like a pro! To check out more pictures, click here.

Wuv, True Wuv

Today Jared and I are celebrating FIVE years of wedded bliss! Here are some random facts in honor of our anniversary:
1. Jared took me to Chicago and proposed in Lincoln park.
2. I didn't have my nails done for our wedding day.
3. We danced to Louis Armstrong's "It's a Wonderful World" for our first dance.
4. We went on a Caribbean cruise for our honeymoon.
5. Jared gave me a map he antiqued for a wedding gift.
6. I gave him a set of tools.
7. Our wedding cake was delicious. I still crave it often.
8. They announced us as "Mr. and Mrs. Gerald R---" at our reception.
9. Five years has gone really fast.
10. I am delighted I married Gerald, I mean Jared.



(PS. Thanks to my dear friend Marnae for taking our lovely engagement and wedding photos!)

County Fair

In case you didn't know, the Franklin County Fair was going on last week. Don't feel bad if you missed it. It's a rather lame fair, I must admit. In the rural area where I grew up, the county fair is a HUGE, put-on-your-Sunday-best-type of affair and well, the Franklin County fair pales in comparison. (I assume this is because the majority of Franklin County is comprised of asphalt and suburbia.) However since the fairgrounds are just a stones throw away from my house I decided this year to not only attend but actually participate! Of course, I don't have cattle, swine or goats to exhibit but there is a "Home and Fine Arts" category that I took full advantage of. I entered my strawberry jam, a couple of photographs, several sewing and craft projects and homemade bread. Unfortunately/fortunately (depending on how you look at it) the art of homemaking is NOT alive in central Ohio because due to lack of or in some cases, no competition, I took home a couple of first place ribbons, a couple of second place ribbons and even one best of show ribbon. There is also a nominal amount of money associated with each ribbon which basically covered my entry fees and the exhibitor season pass I was required to purchase. So in the end, I will have walked away with about ten bucks (woo hoo!), a handful of ribbons which I plan to frame and hang in our living room (joking), access to the fair all week (oh yeah) and bragging rights for an indefinite amount of time. Not bad. I think I'll do it again next year.

Note: If you live in the Central Ohio area and have some homemaking and/or artistic skills you want to share, you should think about participating. Seriously, the competition is slim to none which drastically increases your odds of winning. In fact, I think it was my sister who said the home and fine arts building at the fair reminded her of a creepy garage sale. If you're interested, find out more information about exhibiting your goods here.

Triplets + One

I just finished taking some pictures for my friend Margo. She has her hands full with a set of six year old triplets and a one year old. You can check out more pictures here.

Sunset

Did anyone else see the sunset last night? Stunning!

Kitchen Renovation

I love a good renovation project and I am drooling over this awesome kitchen re-do. You can read about all the details and see before and after pics HERE.
(House Obession via Decor 8)

Number One

I thought this picture was too funny to not share. My sister-in-law Wendy took this picture of Spencer (right) with his cousin Sam a month or so ago. You'll notice Spencer is doing a perfect #1 sign. If only he had been wearing an Ohio State t-shirt!

French Knot Embroidered Duvet

I am usually a fan of more simple bedding but this vintage-looking french knot duvet is oh so lovely.

Little Zoo

I love this Little Zoo collection of Polaroids by Elizabeth Soule. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already.

Picture Blog

So as not to inundate this blog with tons of my pictures, I've set up a separate spot just for them. It's nothing too exciting but you can check it out here, if you feel so inclined.

Nine

Spencer is nine months old today. Crazy how time flies.

Assisting

I am going to be assisting a photographer at a wedding in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure exactly what all that entails but I'll take all the experience I can get. I met the guy in the digital photography class I'm currently taking. He took the picture above (which I love!) and you can check out more of his work here.

Mitchell's Medley

Yesterday Mitch walked into the living room where I was standing and said, "Mom? Did you put those pants on all by yourself?" My reply, "Yes Mitch. I did." Then Mitch in a very firm voice says, "You're not going to wear those pants. RIGHT NOW!"

Apparently Mitch decided to recite back to me (in medley form) several phrases I say to him pretty frequently. Kind of scary.

A Couple of Totally Unrelated Things I'm Loving Right Now

1. The little curl behind Spencer's ear. So cute.
2. B.L.T's (as in the sandwich). I don't know what it is about the combination of toasted bread, crisp bacon, cold lettuce, a juicy red tomato and Hellmann's Real Mayonaise, but it's magical.

They're Comin' to America...TODAY! (Sing it like Neil Diamond)

I LOVE the 4th of July. It is my favorite holiday and here's why:

1. I love America.
2. There is really no pressure to do anything. (No baking, no decorating, no buying presents.)
3. It is in the summer.
And last but certainly not least...
4. Fireworks.

Happy Independence Day!

While You're At It...

You should go ahead and buy these too...

Someone Should Buy This

If I were getting married this summer, I think I would wear this linen dress in white. So pretty for a simple summer wedding.

Polaroids

Jared bought me a Polaroid camera at a garage sale a month or so ago and I'm so excited to use it. Coincidentally, I have been running into all sorts of Polaroid inspiration on the web too. The only bummer is that the film is super expensive: $14.99 for 10 pictures. Ouch! I guess I better make each one count.

(Polaroids above by Nicole Hill and Jen Gotch.)