Being a Bridesmaid

I’m excited. Tomorrow marks the first wedding in over two years (with the exception of my own) that I’ll be attending as a guest. And beyond just being a guest I get to be a bridesmaid as well. Which means I get to wear this lovely pale pink dress and a pair of absolutely delightful heels. I get to wear makeup and don’t have to worry about whether or not my hair will fall in front of my lens during family portraits. I also get to dance during the reception, eat a piece of wedding cake without feeling guilty, sit during the entire dinner hour, and, maybe, have a glass of wine. Now that I think about it, this is going to be a whole new wild world for me.

No doubt it will be nearly impossible for me to make it through an entire wedding without snapping a few pictures. But I’m going to try with all my might to relax, enjoy the day, and experience life as a bridesmaid. Just me, my fellow bridesmaids, my pretty pink Amsale dress, and maybe just a few pictures.

M.

Living Close to Oregon

Hi from 30,000 feet! (I’ve been dying to write that for months). I’m currently somewhere over the state of California en route to Oregon for a few weddings and portrait sessions. I love that I can leave on the 7am flight out of Orange County and be home with my parents by lunch. I’m excited to spend the next week and half visiting friends, frequenting coffee shops, and maybe even doing a little hiking. I’ll be blogging while I’m home – er, at my home away from home…my second home? Well, technically, my first home. You get the point.

And lastly, I realize this has been around for quite some time but it's amazing, right? That I'm browsing the Internet while flying through space?! Wild!

Happy Wednesday, Michelle

Conway :: Four Legs of Awesome

I've dreamt about this post for the past four years. Colton and I have been longing to add to our family since college (and far before we were ever married). And as the months and years passed all we could do was dream about the day when the timing would be right for an addition. Days and weeks we spent discussing breeds and names and oh.the.adventures we would have together. With each new move we found ourselves one small step closer to expanding the Cross home. And then, finally, with the move to California we knew the time had ultimately come to bring our baby home. On Saturday Colton and I drove to the Westside German Shepherd Rescue of L.A.. After spending time with a handful of other shepherd puppies we saw Conway (named Samson by the shelter) across the lot and knew we needed to meet him. Two hours later we left the rescue with bursting hearts and a slobbering canine in the back seat.

World, it is with such great joy that I introduce you to our new love. Rest assured he'll be making regular appearances on the blog - most likely too many. While his full name is Conway, we like to call him Connie. I think it's a particularly dapper old man name and perfect for this handsome new boy of mine.

{Thank you, Emily Scott, for our first family photo}

Don't be thrown off by Connie's size, he is still very much an eight month old puppy. He's even expected to gain around 50 additional pounds, making him roughly the size of a small Great Dane!

I'm sitting at my desk with Connie curled up at my feet as Somewhere Over the Rainbow plays on Pandora. It's sunny outside and the windows in my office are opened to the morning's singing birds. The air is chilly but my feet are warm as Conway stretches out across my toes. I didn't know it was possible for me to love something this much.

...and I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

M.