2011 was a great year, and it flew by so fast!  Reflecting back on it this morning I realized that it was the perfect balance of highs and lows, which in my opinion is the best kind of year.  It was a year mixed with plenty of great vacations, clients, and new friends; sprinkled with tragic loss and some personal struggles.  I’ve learned that life is a delicate balance of good and bad, a balance of tragedy and miracle, and that suffering through the bad makes the good that much sweeter.  If I could sum up my feelings for 2011 in one word, I think that word would be Grateful.  Grateful that I’ve been given this amazing life, grateful for the people I get to share it with, and grateful for the work that I get to do.  I feel so lucky!

But most of all, I’d like to thank all of the amazing clients that let me into their lives this year!  Your humor and inner beauty truly made my year bright!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

2012 holds such promise for me.  I feel like this is going to be a big year, both personally and professionally, and I can’t wait to get started!  I have many lofty goals (as usual) but instead of sharing them here, I’d like to share a little slice of wisdom that I intend to keep close to my heart this year:

“May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.”   – Mother Teresa

May your New Year be everything that you wish it to be and so much more…

♥ Kim

These two are so sweet; I feel so honored to have been a witness. ♥

I was so honored to be a part of Carrie and Chelsey’s union this past September.  There were so many incredible moments that happened that day, I often caught myself wanting to switch over to video mode.   Some of my favorite moments: a dance down the aisle to Hall and Oates, a rap speech by Chelsey’s brother, a heartfelt performance by Carrie of Total Eclipse to Chelsey,  and a live performance by my favortite northwest artist, Sera Cahoone.  (the woodfire pizza and mini donut stand were a hit, too!)

Here are just a few of my favorites…

bride dress:  I Do Bridal

bride suit: Brooks Brothers

venue: Pickering Barn

flowers: Issaquah Farmers Market Flowers

pizza: Inferno Catering

deserts: Ronald Price + I Love Mini Donuts

band: The Side Project and Sera Cahoone

drinking mugs: handmade by the brides and their friends

coordinator: Natalie Ebright

officiates: Brock Grubb and Lindsay Leeder

From the book The Velveteen Rabbit

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

“I suppose you are real?” said the Rabbit. And then he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive. But the Skin Horse only smiled.

(As special and humongous thanks to Deann Barrera for second shooting!   Some of her wonderful photos are below…)

(vendor notes below)

Dress: Enzoani from Luly Yang

Shoes: Valentino from Nordstrom

Veil: Calla Bridal by Alice Hart.

Jewelry: Nordstrom Crystal Collection

Hair: Gene Juarez (Emily)

Makeup: Gene Juarez (Crosbie)

Bridal Party Dresses: Donna Morgan from Nordstrom

Bridal Party Necklaces: Kate Spade New York from Nordstrom

Groom suit: Versace

Groom Vest and Tie: Luly Yang Couture (custom made)

Groom Shoes: Salvatore Ferragamo (Nordstrom)

Flowers: The Ruins

Car: 1963 Vanden Plas Princess Limousine rented from British Motor Coach

Venue: The Ruins

Ceremony: Parsons Garden

A friend and I moved to Mammoth Lakes, CA. right after 9/11 to get away from the city and snowboard for the winter.  The first night in town we met two cute boys at a bar.  They invited us to a party the next evening at their house.  We were eager to make new friends, so we accepted.  Little did I know I’d fall in love that night…

We arrived fashionably late, and while we were searching the crowd for our new friends, an adorable floppy eared black puppy with feet that were seemingly too large for his body emerged through the sea of faces (or feet, really). Lincoln greeted me in the same fashion he greeted everyone for the rest of his life, with huge doggie kisses and unyielding love.  My heart burst open immediately and I completely fell in love at that moment.  I spent the evening playing with Lincoln.  Already protective of him, I kept the drunk partygoers from feeding him nachos and beer.  I also spent the evening with Casey, who little did I know at the time, would become my husband.

Casey and I spent everyday together for the next 10 years with Lincoln in tow.  We’ve been on many adventures together over the years, most of which remain my favorite memories of all time.  I could fill hundreds of pages with the things we’ve done together.  But for now, I’ll keep those precious moments to myself, I’d rather tell you a little bit about him…

Throughout those years Lincoln has eaten (and survived) more things than you can imagine.  You could say he had a passion for food and eating.  He has consumed many unusual things over the years, too many things to list. But some of my favorites include: an entire bathroom floor, a 3×4 ft. patch of wall, rat poison, a box of chocolate bars, almost an entire couch (piece by piece), the contents of our refrigerator (and politely spit the olives into a pile- the only food he doesn’t like) and all kinds of books and clothes.  If you’ve ever been to a party at our house, you’ve undoubtedly seen Lincoln nonchalantly grab some food right off your plate.  He was good at stealing food, so good that you didn’t want to punish him for it, because he’d look up at you with those innocent brown eyes and melt your heart.  My absolute favorite thing he has devoured was a box of tampons.  I came home from work to find Lincoln sitting in the window with what looked like a cigar sticking out of his mouth.  He had the goofiest of expressions on his face.  Upon closer inspection I saw that he had a tampon stuck in his mouth, sticking out in a way that made him look like George Burns puffing on a stogie. I still laugh when I think of that night…

Lincoln passed away last Friday, Aug.5th.  His passing has left a gigantic hole in our hearts; a hole that we’re not sure can ever be filled again.  We’ve never known a life together without Lincoln.  The pain has been so bad that we’ve even talked about never getting another dog.  The thought quickly passes as we remember all the joyous and downright hilarious moments we’ve had with Lincoln.  There really is no replacement for the love and laughter that a dog brings into your life.  Lincoln was a giant goofball, a people pleaser, and a lover- there wasn’t anything you could do to make him angry.  He was a great cuddler, a protector, and a constant office companion to me.  He loved everyone that came into his life, unconditionally.  (He loved you more if you gave him some sort of treat and a butt scratch)  He was a mouth-breather, an incessant snorer, a drooler, and was always underfoot in the kitchen.  The house seems so quiet and empty without him.   Pip is stepping in as head-of-household and is trying her best to keep us happy.  The 3 of us together are slowly adjusting to a life without Lincoln…

I’ve come to realize this past week that life is really just a series of miracles and tragedies and all we can hope for in this world is that the miracles are so bright and frequent and amazing that they outshine the tragedies a million times over.

You will be missed, Stinky Linky, more than you will ever know.  (Below are some old scanned photos and some of my favorite digital photos from over the years.)

Becky + Eli put together a great DIY wedding; the girls made their own bouquets, the guys wore mis-matched socks and ties, and the family pulled together and baked a delicious array of cakes.  Add in the mix a snow cone machine, a photo booth, and a bunch of really great dancers and you’ve got a party!

I’ve been so incredibly lucky this year with the most amazing clients, Becky + Eli were no exception.  I laughed, cried, and danced beside them all day long and it was a blast! ♥

(a few vendor notes below the photos…)