Love & Friendship

This past Sunday one of my friends got married in a beautiful, rustic wedding in Massachusetts. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the bride? Well, she was as gorgeous as ever. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect day for her and her new husband. And I feel so blessed to have been able to be there to celebrate with her on her special day. 

And, the icing on the cake for this weekend? 

Also invited to the wedding was a handful of old friends who I haven't seen in years. Some of them it has probably been about 6 years since the last time our paths crossed - and that is insane to me. I cannot process how that much time passed so quickly and how much our lives have drifted apart. 

It was wonderful to reconnect and catch up with these guys. We used to spend every weekend fencing in local tournaments, traveling to national ones, and endless hours in the gym training and laughing and being your average middle-school/high-school obnoxious kids. 

Some things haven't changed, for the record. Put us all at a table together and turn up the music? It was like no time had passed at all. 

It just reminded me of just how important it is to keep the people who matter to you close. I strongly hope that it's not another six years, or another important event, that finds our lives once again brought together. Growing up, once people spread out in the world, you really do have to make the effort to reach out to the people who mattered to you when you were younger. To keep your ties to who you were as well as focusing on who you're intending to become. 

It really was a lovely wedding. I couldn't be happier for my friend as she and her husband move forward in their life together. They are wonderful, caring, and brilliant people who are completely in love and supportive of each other. 

And? They know how to throw one heck of a New England style party, as evidenced by this little guy:

Life has been relatively mundane lately. Summer is perfectly lazy and delectable and I couldn't ask for more. Especially when you throw in wonderful weekends like these, who could hope for anything better? Weekends surrounded by friends and love? I'll take the mundane of your average August day for weekends like these. 

So, here's to life, love, and friendship. May they grow within and between us every day. 

Unexpected Travel Plans

Have you entered my, Sam, Kristine, Meghan and Caroline's Plenty To Be THANKful For Blog Swap? You have until November 8th to sign up and get paired with another blogger to send each other presents! Then make sure to check back on November 9th for the Challenge prompts! We are all SERIOUSLY excited about this, so sign up quick!

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A few weeks ago on a Wednesday I posted something along the lines of "I MISS YOU! WHEN DO I GET TO SEE YOU!?!?!" on my old college roommate Morgan's wall.

You see, it's been two years since I had seen her. Which is far, far too long in either of our books. She was my roommate. We had scheduled nap-times most days in college. We had the best dorm room I had ever seen (hello holiday decorations, cozy blankets and pillows everywhere, and year-round Christmas lights to give the room a soft glow). And she and I just all around had (and still have!) and amazing bond - a friendship that can go two years without much contact and still be rock-solid. Needless to say, I love the girl, and I missed her!

About 20 minutes after posting that on her wall, I get a phone call.

"Want to come to Boulder tomorrow?"

It's important to note here that Morgan is a flight attendant, so she could do crazy things like fly me out to Boulder from New Hampshire for about $100 at the drop of a hat.

And just like that I flew out to Boulder on Friday (so, it wasn't the tomorrow we had hoped for, but I had stuff to get done on Thursday). It was an AMAZING adventure, an experience in the toils of flying standby, and a seriously awesome way to spend a weekend with an old friend. Things picked up like they had never been put on pause, and we just giggled and hung out for three days.

Here's the evidence:

what else says fall like a good corn maze & pumpkin patch?

Sunday morning Mimosas & Breakfast

Did I mention just how beautiful this place is?

Leaps of joy in Red Rocks :)

Roomies Reunited :)

So, on the way home it was almost impossible to get on a flight back to Boston. So I routed through DC and decided (well, the airlines decided for me, really) to have a day extra layover in DC. Where I got to see my other college Roommate and one of my favorite friends from the fencing team at UNC. It made an already awesome vacation simply amazing.

I really, honestly, love this city.

finally made it to the Korean War Memorial

love this girl too!

And there you have it! How a weekend of no plans becomes a whirlwind tour of visiting both of my old college roomates. It's great to have such awesome people in your life. It's really hard when people start to spread out and get immersed in their new, busy lives. But it's so wonderful to have the chance to drop in and have a visit.

Friends and Family are, in fact, what makes life meaningful.

All You Need Is Love {Day Seven}

I cannot believe the challenge is almost over!

I have been having such a blast reading all your awesome posts,

'meeting' so many new bloggers,

commenting, reading comments, laughing,

(longing for food that I cannot cook until June...)!

A HUGE thank you again to all of you who have been linking up,

seriously, you guys are the best!

Sam, Neely, and I have had so much fun

(and it's not over yet!)!!!

Day Seven

I {LOVE} When I Feel Beautiful/Sexy/Pretty! I Feel This Way When...

When I'm surrounded by friends,

and loved ones,

and have a smile on my face.

I don't really have one go-to

'make me feel pretty' outfit.

I think friends and family are the best accessory:

they always put a smile on your face.

And when you've got a smile?

You're the prettiest girl in the world!

Plus, this means I get to show off more pictures of me & my friends:

What makes you feel pretty?

Link up and let us know!

All You Need Is Love {Day Five}

I know I've said it every day of this challenge so far,

but you guys are AMAZING!

Seriously - the comments? the new followers?

the sheer number of people linking up?

It's so much more than Sam, Neely, or I thought was possible when we were coming up with this swap and challenge! We were hoping for maybe 20 of you to join? But the fact that most days have had over 80 of you joining? Wow! The love, guys, I feel it!

That being said, let's get into today's topic, shall we?

Day Three

What I {LOVE} About My Friends Is...

This has to be the hardest day for me,

because my answer is simply:

everything.

I love everything about my friends.

I am seriously so blessed to have the people who I call friends in my life.

A phone call on a bad day.

A phone call on a good day.

Hanging out in the sunshine.

Grabbing a cup of coffee.

A silly email.

A serious email.

Letters in the mail.

It's impossible for me to enumerate all the things I love about them.

So, I'll do it in pictures:

dunno about you, but mom&dad are my best friends :) (Rome, 2006)

Me, Sallie, Katie (Clockwise) fencing in Moscow, Russia (Circa 2005)

I've known Kira since I was 13 - NCAAs (2004)

Me & Morgan -College Roomie! (2004)

Me & Sallie Snow Day in Chapel Hill (2004)

Lori & Me At Harry Potter 7 Release (2007)

Katie & Me - My Senior Year Fencing Banquet (2007)

New Years Eve - Erica, Morgan & Me (2006)

Phoenix Is My Best Friend Too - Baby Kitty! (2006)

Stephie & Me - Friends since I was 14ish (2006)

Carrie & Me at a Durham Bulls Game (2009)

Roomie Morgan & Me (& Cosmic) On Our Way To The Beach (2009)

Kendra, Me, & Kristen - Friends Since 2nd Grade! (2009)

Me & Sanja (2007)

Kendra & Me in Chapel Hill (2007)

Going through all these pictures

has made me miss all my friends SO MUCH!

I see a lot of phonecalls being made soon!

To all of my friends who read this,

know one thing more than anything else:

I {LOVE} YOU!

What do you love about your friends?

Link up, let us know!