the most romantic date EVER | Minnesota Lifestyle Photographer

Remember this game?

I was contacted by a husband knee deep in his own Mystery Date plans. He was planning a romantic evening that he was sure his wife would want photographed. His wife (a long time scrapbooking friend) wasn't to know a stitch about it. So I had to keep my mouth (and Tweets) quiet for A WHOLE MONTH!!!

Here's [roughly] how it went down:

1. Prince Charming told his wife to pack an overnight bag for the child who would be heading over to Gramma's house by 3:00 pm.

2. At that point, he gave his wife a second set of instructions telling her they'd be leaving for their date at 5:00 pm. He told her to wear jeans, a nice t-shirt, and shoes she could do a bit of walking in. He told her that one of the places they'd be going to was kind of fancy.

3. Prince Charming drove his wife to the St. Paul Hotel. He walked her to an elevator, handed her a card key, and told her to go to a room. In the room was a beautiful gown with instructions to be dressed and in the lobby by 6:45 pm. (Her BFF was also there to help with the gown.)

This is when I arrived on the scene. I'll let the rest of the story unfold through the following images.

As you can see, an evening she will never forget :)

Once in a while, right in the middle of ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale.
- Unknown

SMASHbook = smashing success

I knew heading into this summer, I'd need something SIMPLE to document our days. Some huge changes had taken place with my niece and nephew early this summer - I've been dealing with concerns I have for their welfare and missing their sweet presence in everyday life. With legal proceedings ahead, sharing my feelings publicly was not an option.

I needed a place to journal... wanted a place to place these "moments" without fretting about superficial things such as coordinating papers and perfect layouts.

In addition to the munchkin stuff, we are still working through the loss of Tony's dad and buried him this summer as well. Big life stuff.

And in between all of the big stuff, we've been hanging out with friends and family. Trying to savor those moments, despite the heavy stuff on the sidelines. The SMASHbook has been perfect.

Most of my personal images were captured by phone and printed through ScrapbookPictures.com (I uploaded to the site regularly and placed several smaller orders this summer instead of trying to do it all as one HUGE order). It is NOT in chronological order, which was freeing in and of itself, and the entire project was maybe a 3-hour time investment.

SO WORTH IT.

5 Fun Things Friday

1. Totally saving up for one of these:

I've always wanted a patchwork quilt but they are so darn expensive.

2. Jackson's Coffee & Gelato.

I've had gelato on the brain [and in my mouth] lately.

3. Simple scrapbooking. Like this:

And this:

And of course, this [featured already in a previous 5 Fun Things post]:

My philosophy this summer: just get it done.

4. Fall in Minnesota. Looking for some fun things to do? Here are a few ideas:

• Junk Bonanza in Shakopee, Minnesota.
• Fall Foliage Fest in Harmony, Minnesota.
• On the Road Again in South St. Paul, Minnesota.
• Sever's Corn Maze in Shakopee, Minnesota
• Oktoberfest in New Ulm, Minnesota.
• Harvest Fest 2011 in Remer, Minnesota.
• Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, Minnesota.
• Jim's Apple Farm in Jordan, Minnesota.

5. This adorable camera necklace:

Happy Friday!!!

bits of summer

the four of us :: july 2011

* one family photo * MY family * each month * for an entire year *

While it seemed fitting to take this monthly shot with my iPhone (pretty much EVERY SINGLE PICTURE I've taken this summer has been with it), I didn't have a choice. It was Sunday, July 31 and we were on our way to St. Cloud... without my Canon. July was filled with everything that June lacked - mainly SUNSHINE :) We celebrated several special family birthdays, spent a great deal of time at my folks' pool, enjoyed our second ever STAYCATION, went to Nickelodeon Universe TWICE, had our first official Game Night with Tilly's family in the new basement, took a little trip to St. Cloud, enjoyed lots of time with Tilly at the pool, made all sort of yummy treats, the start of soccer and band lessons, and I enjoyed my first motorcycle ride of the season.

Summer is in full swing and we are enjoying every second of it! [Hope you are, too!]

Monthly Faithbooking Crop :: August 2011

The August Faithbooking Crop is next weekend! Join us at Hosanna! on Saturday, August 13 from 9:00 am-3:00 pm for a fun and productive day of scrapbooking (or whatever sort of crafting floats your boat). As aways, the crops are FREE and include:

• snacks and beverages
• hourly prize drawings
• monthly journaling lesson
• hours to work on your projects

Just click HERE and follow the instructions to reserve your spot! The rest of the year has been mapped out as well, future dates follow:

September 10, 2011
October 8, 2011
November 12, 2011
December 10, 2011
January 14, 2012
February 11, 2012
March 10, 2012
April 14, 2012
May 12, 2012
June 9. 2012
July 14, 2012
August 11, 2012

If you have not been receiving my monthly email reminder and would like to, let me know and I'll add your name to the list! (Just a reminder... please RSVP by Wednesday, August 10th!)

5 Fun Things Friday

1. Texas Roadhouse. The best sweet rolls and honey butter, served free (and in unlimited quantities) with your meal.

We discovered this little gem while visiting St. Cloud early this week. There is also a location in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. I had the best steak of my life there and highly recommend a visit.

2. Scheels. Think Cabela's-Meets-Sports Authority.

While I have yet to step foot in the Eden Prarie store, the St. Cloud location boasts fudge and animal displays that rival Cabela's.

3. I've found another sweet Etsy gem.

I will be placing an order with this shop. Heavenly. You must be sure to check out their Cookiewiches (HERE) and the rest of their jar cakes (HERE).

4. This gorgeous line of clothing - the shop (called "idea2lifestyle") is a collective effort by a team of designers.

The unique designs are feminine and flattering. Love pretty much everything about them.

5. Design Your Dorm: 3-D Designer.

What a super cool tool for the college student!

Happy Friday!!!