{Personal} Happy Birthday Mini-Me!

{A few pictures of her adventures over the past 4 years. How cute is she?!}

Today, my niece Lucy turns 4. Time flies when you're having fun...and fun she is! I cannot believe she is already 4 and will start pre-school this fall! She keeps us all on our toes with her many questions and sweet southern twang. Some days I think she's 4 going on 14! She loves to dance and shop at Target. Her favorite things are girly and fabulous and of course, the Charlotte 49ers and she's a great big sister to Kate-Linn. It's been said she's a bit like I was...but I'm not sure I see it :)
Leave her some sweet birthday comment love!

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GOOSE!**
~xoxo~
Aunt Erica

{Wedding Day} :: Logan + Jason

{Jason & Logan :: The lovely soon-to-be newlyweds!}

Left: At our 10 year high school reunion last fall. Me, Logan, &
our friend Haley (who is one of Logan's bridesmaids!)
Right: Me with Logan at a friend's baby shower last summer

Today, one of my oldest, dearest friends, Logan is getting hitched! Logan and I have been friends for over twenty years. When we were younger, people thought we were sisters! I have so many fun & fond memories that include her (and her amazing mom) and am so excited to see her as a bride!

Logan and I have been shared a lot together...dance competitions, many many sleepovers, cheerleading tryouts, passing notes in class, middle school boyfriend drama, graduating from high school, then college. We eventually sort of went our own ways and did our own things, but always kept in touch & remained friends. She's just one of those people that no matter how infrequently we talk or see each other nothing ever seems to change!
Little known secret about me: thanks to Logan, I was actually a Tar Heel fan for a few years {it was before I knew any better ;) }

I'm so excited for Logan & Jason's wedding this evening at the Victorian Villa Inn and am so thankful for everyone that the weather has cooled off just a smidge! I can't wait to see some old friends from high school and some of Logan's family that I haven't seen in years! Should be a fun reunion for all. Complete with "Carolina blue" bridesmaid dresses, of course!
Congratulations, Logan & Jason! I wish you many years of happiness!

xoxo,
erica

Memorial Day:: Stop to remember

In the true spirit of Memorial Day, I thought I'd write a post to remind all of us of the reason we celebrate this holiday. It is because of the men & women who have fought for our country and continue to do so everyday so that we can have our freedom. Regardless of your political views or your opinion on the current situation in Iraq & Afghanistan, please take a moment today to remember and thank those who have served. These photos are of people who are important to me who have served our country.

Patrick (United States Marine Corps) and Butler (US Army) are two of my best friends. I've known them both for 15+ years and love them like brothers. They were both ushers in my wedding. Both of them fought in Iraq & Afghanistan and were deployed multiple times. My mother's father, my Grandpa Pete, fought in the Army during World War II. In my recent explorations of my parents' attic & storage unit I've come across lots of old pictures including these of Grandpa during his service days. I also found his dogtag from the Army and now wear it myself on occasion. The photo in the background of the collage is of the 88th Division Cemetery No. 3 near Florence, Italy. The picture was taken by my grandfather in 1944.

So as many of us enjoy our long weekend, let's not forget those who continue to fight so that we can enjoy the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.

Cheers!
{erica}

Happy Anniversary :: {Kristi + Zach}

Happy Anniversary to one of my dearest friends, Kristi, & her husband Zach! Kristi & Zach were married at Rumbling Bald Resort on Lake Lure (which also happens to be the fabulous location of another Green Shoes Wedding later this year!)

As I helped Kristi plan her fun, casual lakeside wedding- complete with a sparkler exit to a boat that was captained by my father- she became instrumental in encouraging me to pursue wedding planning as something more than a hobby to help my friends. I will always be grateful to her for that little "push" that I needed! She's also the reason I met my husband, so she gets points for that too!

We all need a Kristi in our life...the friend who drags you out one night when you don't want to go (where you end up meeting your future husband) and the friend who encourages and pushes you to do something you really love and want to do- even if it isn't always logical!

So Happy Anniversary to Kristi & Zach! Cheers to many happy years to come!


love,
{erica}

photo credit: Piper Warlick Photography

All you need is LOVE...

"General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around." {Love Actually}

That quote is the beginning of one of my very favorite movies, "Love Actually" and I find it particularly appropriate for Valentine's Day. Yes, it may be a "Hallmark holiday" but it's still a day to celebrate love. Any kind of love. As a wedding planner and happily married woman, I like to celebrate the romantic kind, but I'm also a big believer in the love between friends or siblings, between a parent & a child, between an aunt or uncle and their nieces & nephews. Regardless of romantic or marital status (on Facebook or in real life) we all have love to share and there is someone (or hopefully several someones) to share that love with! Oh- and those giant hearts made of chocolate covered peanut butter are a major plus to this holiday too!

Special blog love from me to my Valentines- my sweet husband, Steve & Norm the pug. And, of course, I can't forget about my fabulous clients + friends celebrating with their first Valentine's Day as an engaged couple or as husband + wife!

Top row (L to R): Adam + Jennifer 10/2/10~Brian + Katherine 7/3/10~ Erik + Meredith 11/6/10~ Johnny + Kelly 9/25/10
Middle row (L to R): Taylor + Katie 2011~ Logan + Jason 7/2/10~ Danny + Beth 10/9/10
Bottom row (L to R): Jennifer + Craig 7/11/09 {photo credit: Firefly Images} Me with Steve + Norm the pug {photo credit: Lucy Parker Photography} Matthew + Heather {photo credit: Kristin Byrum Photography} Mandie + Drew {photo credit: Bert Reed Photography}

Lots of love to you all!
{xoxo}

Goals for October!

So I’m totally stealing this idea from my fellow Charlotte wedding pros, Cheyenne Schultz & Alyse Woodward and starting my own monthly “goal list” on my blog. Just for fun reference, you can check out Cheyenne & Alyse’s goals for October as well as the results from their September posts. I think they got the idea from fab photographer Nancy Ray , but as someone who loves to make lists, I thought this would be a good idea! Plus it will help me be more accountable in actually accomplishing some of these goals! Some are business related and some are more personal. There are big goals & small goals on my list, but nonetheless, here’s my list for October (and yes, I know it’s late, but I had a big, fabulous wedding this past weekend so better late than never!)

{} Finalize my contract & have the attorney review it
{} Do the paperwork to become an LLC (changing from a sole proprietorship)
{} Meet with 3 new vendors
{} Have dinner with a friend I haven’t seen in a while
{} Catch up on thank you notes to vendors
{} Organize my business expenses/receipts
{} Schedule someone to deep clean our house & carpets
{} Catch up on “Mad Men” & “Glee” episodes
{} Start working on my business plan
{} Clean out my closet & switch out the seasonal clothes
(check out my inspiration from Julianne Smith here)
{} Take Norm to the dog bar in NoDa
{} Make something with my KitchenAid mixer (I am not a cook & it’s starting to get dusty!)
{} Plant fall flowers in my front yard & get out the Halloween decorations
{} Update/clean out my Google reader

And here is my inspiration board for my goals (disclaimer: that is not actually my closet, nor would my closet EVER be that organized!)

What are some of your goals for this month? Any fun suggestions for what to make with my mixer or any good blogs I should be sure to read on a regular basis (wedding or non-wedding related)?