Autumn's 30th Surprise Birthday Party

Autumn's birthday happens to fall on Christmas Eve, so celebrating her special day often gets unintentionally pushed to the side due to a million Christmas and New Year's obligations. Not this year though!  It was Autumn's big 3-0, so her husband Jason decided to throw her a huge surprise celebration. Shirley and Jason combined their forces to create day of wine tasting all around Northern Arizona...on a huge bus!  It was a great time.  We all met at Autumn and Jason's in the morning, then headed up north (close by to where we live actually) to visit some of the vineyards along the way. We stopped at Alcantara, which is right along the Verde River, then continued over to Arizona Stronghold and walked around downtown Cottonwood checking out some other adorable spots. We ended the day eating delicious bruschetta at the Pillsbury Wine Company. 

I'm not much of a drinker so I stayed sober, but I still had the best time eating way too much cheese (it's the very best part of wine tasting in my opinion!), getting super hydrated with my 100 bottles of water and having intense conversations with my fabulously drunken friends. I love them. Our bus turned into a party bus on the two hour ride back to Scottsdale, and I think my cheeks still hurt from all the laughing and smiling I did. It was a great time, and most importantly the birthday girl had a great time! This is the 12th birthday we've celebrated together and every year it just gets better and better!  We've had our crazy ones (hello 21st birthdays while attending NAU!), we've had our calm ones, but this one was right in the middle, and a pretty perfect way to usher in a new decade. Happiest birthday, Autumn Skye.

Shirley and Nate's Wedding!

Last night one of my dearest friends tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend Nate. It was beyond just an amazing wedding; it was truly an amazing experience to be a part of. We headed up to Sedona the night before for the rehearsal dinner, and when we arrived at the house where the wedding would take place, we fell in love. Their family friends' home is nestled right in the forest, surrounded by lush foliage and towering red rocks. The creek went right along the side of the house, and all of the sounds provided the most beautiful soundtrack to that first evening.

Shirley and her mother-in-law created everything for the big day from the flowers to the cake to every decoration there, so when we arrived back the next morning for hair and makeup, I got butterflies in my stomach as I saw the beginning of the set up. I was absolutely blown away with all of the gorgeous details and personal touches.  The whole thing was just so Shirley and so perfect.

The night went by far too quickly, but it was filled with a million laughs, smiles, and hours of dancing. We ate delicious food, one too many slices of cake, and best of all, the bride and groom looked to be having the time of their life. This was one of the most beautiful weddings I've ever been to, and I feel so lucky that I was able to stand up there for Shirley as one of her bridesmaids.

Shirley's wedding was also very emotional for a different reason - this was the last wedding from this group of our college girlfriends. Since we all graduated NAU in 2004, we've been a part of each others' wedding over the past 7 years. To say we've all grown up together is an understatement; most of us lived together in college, some of us after, and we've all been a part of the milestones in each others' lives over the past decade. It's pretty amazing.

The photos speak for themselves, so I'll leave you with a glimpse into Shirley's beautiful day.  These are just the photographs I took, so I'll be sure to share the professional photos once she gets them back.

Congratulations again Shirley and Nate, I love you both so much!