

Planning a wedding can be an overwhelming task, but I've come to the conclusion this summer if the location is spectaluar and the little details done just right, that a simple wedding is the best. In June our friends Cassandra and Phillip got married outdoors on a horse farm.

The bride's entrance was fairy tale.

The flowers were bright, but simple.

Their reception was a good bbq in the barn (cleanist barn you've ever seen, too)!
Well, yesterday, we attended a wedding reception for Liz and Nathan in another spectacular location--the third floor outdoor balcony of the State Historical Building. What an amazing few of the state capital and all of downtown Des Moines.

The food was delicious and I just love the color of this fruit centerpiece.

The bride's mother, Maureen, is creative and I think this idea tops the list of clever ideas! The window ledge was filled with wedding pictures of family members, sprinkled amongst the flowers in bud bowls and wine bottles. Just wonderful.

Then there was dessert. Each table had a pie stand (handmade by the groom) and after dinner either a carmel apple pie (see photo below--oh, that's right we ate it all), a cheesecake, a chocolate torte, an upside down pineapple cake or Key Lime pie was placed in the center. Didn't like what your table had? Or you wanted more? Not a problem, mingling amonst the guests and tables was highly encouraged.

Can't talk about a wedding without mentioning the bridesmaids dresses. Just another example of simple details that are perfect. I thought the color of the dress and men's suites were unexpected and so classy.

Could there be anything more romantic than a sun setting behind the new couple as they dance their first dance? Good luck and best wishes for many wonderful years ahead of you.

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The 2010 Iowa State Fair is well underway! This 11-day annual event is a highlight in our summer outings. One of the many things we like to do is let the kids run through the tunnel in the middle of the gardens outside the Ag building. While the kids were running round-and-round, I was taking in all of the beautiful flowers. Then I saw the butterfly, above. Can you imagine his delight in finding this sea of nectar? He flittered from blossom to blossom as if he'd found gold. And for a moment I was so focused on this awesome site that I didn't even hear the thousands of people around me and all of the usual noises of the fair.

Making my first king-size quilt has proven to take longer than I had hoped! I made great progress earlier this spring on this project, but came to a halt in July with too many other summer activities going on. But on Sunday I found my self with a deep need to sew. It's funny how I need that "fix" at the sewing machine. Although it was awesome to move forward on the quilt...note one section above...the best part was that the girls were in the sewing room with me. They cut, glued, colored. I gave them empty boxes, leftover batting, paper cups. They made crowns, coffee cups and pretty boxes. It was fun to watch them work together and alone on their projects.