On with the show...

It's been over a week since I've blogged. This might upset me more than my readership, but to whomever is upset by this, I'm sorry. I have a good excuse though...I swear. 


About a year ago, something wonderful happened. Along with my dear friends Sarah and Jenn, I officially started Signature, Ink. LLC, a custom design company. We specialize in weddings but also create one-of-a-kind designs for essentially anything...birthday invitations, shower invitations, baby announcements, business cards...you name it. 


Yesterday we took part in our first bridal show. We're still waiting to see how well it truly went, but it FELT like it was a success! It took a ton of planning and preparation (it didn't help that it fell the weekend after final exams, the day after I had an all day training for my third job), so it took me away from the blog...and cleaning...and crafting...and cooking. BUT now that we've done one bridal show, all that follow should be much easier!


Here are a few pictures from the show. The booth was 98% finished when I took the pictures. We still needed to hang fabric under the boards, but by the time that happened, I totally spaced taking pictures. 

Sarah's dad made these presentation boards for us. After we hung fabric from the bottom, they were perfect. The three frames display examples of our three different wedding packages.

The water bottles from Signature, Ink. and Hoyle-Cunningham Photography were a HUGE hit! Our promotion for the show is framed with a copy of the magazine we were featured in.

Another project board made by Sarah's dad. Most of our past work.
Wow...we didn't realize we'd done so much!

Room to breathe.

Recently, life has felt a little...tight. Between managing the most intense workload I've ever had as a teacher, navigating the new waters of pregnancy, trying to maintain relationships, and feeling guilty when I suck at any of the previous endeavors, my day to day has become rather restricting. This weekend, however, Michael and I went away for the weekend with three of our favorite people and got to breathe. It was glorious! 


Friday evening Randy, Becky, Finn, Michael and I headed for a couple of days in South Haven, Michigan. It turned into a weekend full of food, shopping, laughing, drinking (for the boys), and wonderful memories. We're hoping that this will turn into an annual trip. If so, next year our Lo will join us. And if we plan it far enough in advance, maybe Courtney will be able to come too!


Even though I took my camera and our Flip, I took no pictures, thus, you're seeing the weekend through Becky's eyes (some of the best eyes to look at anything). 

Our view from the balcony.

The boys on the way to the lighthouse.

Uncle Mike & Aunt Betty love you, Finn!

Becky, Finn, & Randy--Perfect family picture!

"Vroooom!" Finn loves his cars.

The other boys loved their "pimp chalices". 

Checking out the iPad and the fun Crayola coloring app.

Lazy days.

With government cutbacks impacting so much of the country, it's no surprise that our little family has been touched. For the second year in a row Michael has had to take one mandatory day off--or furlough day--for the first nineteen pay periods of the year. Are we hurting? No. Would the extra money be nice? Yes. But, ironically this is not a complaint of any kind. In fact it has afforded us mini vacations this summer because every other weekend he has three days off. The result? Lazy days.

Today will include LOTS of coffee, blogging, reading blogs, watching DVR episodes of Shark Week, playing with the dogs in the yard, and possibly hanging our new mirror from Ikea.  We'll end the day with dinner with the Hoyle clan. Hope you have a lazy weekend too.