I Could Get Used to This

Apparently, my boss likes to give me weekends off. That's just a statement, definitely no complaining here! But I'm starting to get used to it, and that's just not fair. Because you know the second I wrap myself around the fact that Saturdays could potentially be included as one of my weekly days off, you know he's going to change his mind and I'll get a Monday/Tuesday weekend again. Really? What the hell is there to do on a Monday/Tuesday?   Nevertheless, this is now the third Saturday I've had off and shhhhhhh....don't tell anyone, but I looked on yesterday's schedule and have THAT Saturday off, too!! :D:D I'm simply becoming the queen of weekends, ova here!

Because on weekends there's lots to do! Like go to the mountains :) spend the day with your husband :) *or* go to a wedding!!! Like today! Now, if 1) I could trade in this manly horse voice for my old one that'd be splendid, 2) I could wake up in the morning without having to spend the first 10 minutes blowing, coughing, and gagging on this lovely cold I might feel even more attractive and less gross and 3) that Ibuprofen I took over an hr ago would kick in, I could start this fabfabfabulous weekend! Maybe some java will do the trick :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll see you on the flip side, Denver. 

xo . jess

skinny for the wedding.

I have exciting news! Or at least, I totally have exciting news for me. I was hopping up and down in my car on my way to work today when I read and email from our wedding photography Adam Houseman from Imthiaz Photography sent me an email saying that our wedding pictures were picked up by the lovely wedding blog With This Ring and will go live sometime in February!
SO COOL!


I've had something stuck in my eye all afternoon. Yes, I felt that was viable information and pure entertainment for you to know. I am sorry. For a minute I was sitting here, wondering what the heck I was going to blog about tonight and I drew a complete blank. Hence, the random insert. 
But here we go - I remember now. the gym.


So - usually and somewhat unfortunately, when a modern woman in our society is getting married, she's usually on some sort of diet or trend in order to get herself as thin as possible for her big day. They all try to hide behind the fact that they're "just wanting to look their best" and every bridal magazine and dress shop will make you aware of the fact that you must "look your best". Don't get me wrong I was just as obsessed with what I was going to look like, as the next girl. Well of course! You're being photographed all day, probably even filmed, and you have anywhere from 75 - 300 people staring at you for quite some time. Well, starting last year there I was brainstorming how I was going to take the 8 months leading up to my wedding to get "skinny for the wedding". Well, turns out I was going to spend the entire year (unfortunately almost literally) NOT doing what I had planned. I don't think I set a single foot in a gym, or on the treadmill all year long. The two times I got up semi early on a Sunday off when I lived in Fort Collins, definitely don't count. But, all ends well and I still fit in my dress perfectly fine and manage to pose successfully without "weird arm fat" in the majority of my pictures. :P :P :P 


So today I finally went, to work out at the gym for the first time in basically a year. Mr. ray signed us up last week and of course, the guy couldn't have take a WORSE picture of me! I might as well have held the camera up my nose for him. Anyway..it was fantastic. I can't wait to go back tomorrow :) I used to be the biggest Yoga fan, and I would love to go back to it. 

Happy Friday peeps.

xo . jess

wedding.belles

If you asked me what one of the best things of 2010 was, I would have to answer getting a job at F21. Oh no. Not because of their fabulous, fast fashion affordable prices and perfect haven for fashion lovers with a small wallet like me, but because I met my dear friend 

* J *

I ♥ her from the second she hired me. 2010 and my new life would not have been or be the same without her. She is such a special and still new friend - I am so glad to be back in Colorado! 

We're both busy girls and our schedules would never allow us to spend our weekends shopping, thrifting, coloring our hair, getting pedis, and eating sushi. 

A couple days ago this happened :D

Jenna Elmore

So excited that Jessica said yes to being in my wedding..not that I gave her any option..haha can't wait to spend my special day with my great friends, Alison, katie and Jessica..it will be great!

January 5 at 8:16pm ·  · Comment

I would love nothing else but to spend your special day as such a special part!!!

Can't wait to recreate this picture at your wedding

:)

♥ 

xo . jess

Heilig Abend

Not considering Christmas Eve as important and special as Christmas Day which is common for the US, is unthinkable to me. 

In Germany, Christmas is celebrated as big as Christmas Day is here, but Christmas Day is a little less celebrated, but still filled with Family, Friends, and Food. 

(The F words of Christmas :) )

So it's almost reverse of the Holidays here. But really, that's neither here nor there. All I'm trying to tell you is that today for me starts the beginning of the best two days of the year. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I bicker with my family, play pranks on each other, hold hands in the grocery store, tease each other, laugh with each other, probably cry with each other, cuddle with each other, and most importantly, 

love each other. 

It's pretty amazing. 

Plus, you've spent the last month trying to think of what you're gonna wear and you look adorable, yet no one cares that by the end of the day you're ripping off those amazing skinnies, dress, or skirt and jumping back into matching Christmas jammies with the whole family...

and then you keep eating. 

Again. Amazing. 

Tonight we are heading to N's grandma's house for annual Mexican food (weird Italians, right?) drinks, and laughs with my mini family posse in tow. Coming back to my mom's for 1 present opening, playing games till late and sneaking off to bed, to wake up to the mother of all German breakfasts (!!!) Christmas music, presents, and lounging..followed by semi formal Christmas brunch and the next gma's house, coffee and cake, tied up in the back with taking a drive across town towards Brighton, where we'll be putting on those cozy Christmas jammies, opening presents, drinking wine, and staying the night. It will be f.i.l.l.e.d. with family time and it will be wonderful. 

Can you tell we were without our families for Thanksgiving this year? 

From my wonderful growing family to yours, 

xo, 

littmssunshine.

our wedding

my vintage store dress ♥ 

one of my favorites :) My sister as Maid of Honor and my godson as Ringbearer ♥

one of my absolute favorites ♥ 

photography by

Adam Houseman

Christmas Come Early!!

There here! There here! There here!

I know Christmas isn't quite here (2 tage!) but I have been in the best Christmas mood today! I've just now ignored and passively accepted the fact that we will not be seeing any 

"White Christmases" 

this year, because I can still go to work without a jacket, here in lovely Colorado. And of COURSE I'm wearing my sunglasses everyday still. But I spent my morning jamming out to Christmas music, my commute around town for chores and cruising off to work blaring "Mele Kalikimaka" down I-25, and even singing "You're a Mean One, Mr Grinch" up the stairs of the parking garage..Santa apparently felt like giving me a little gift early by bringing me our

**  wedding photos **

I've been so happy all day, I couldn't wait to come home. And now, it's 2.01am. I have uploaded half of the 665 images to Facebook and have to be awake and functional for work again in the next 6 hours. 

I need sleep. 

Now. 

But believe me when I say, that I'm stumbling off to bed with the biggest smile, excited to share with you my wedding pictures tomorrow, the second I get home from work. 

I promise. 

Did I mention I arrived home from work today at 12.23am? Oh no, I realize that it means I didn't get home from work until the very next day. 

I saw that. 

night kids. 

xo . jess

party.

reverb10.


December 9 – Party Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.


Well. I'm pretty sure, that if you spend two years of your life planning one specific day, you can't really choose any other event to be the party of the year. So this one is pretty self explanatory and expected. our amazing wedding. duh!


Now if only I had my wedding pictures yet, I could actually show you some now couldn't I. Yea. About that. They're supposed to be here any day I guess. 

But that's neither here or there. Fact is, that our wedding was absolutely fantastic. Not a single person found themselves bored or in their seats all night. The music was better than I could have imagined, and I was very picky about the music played. It was the only thing I would get zilla' about. ;) There was party music, but without the crazy bumpin' grindin' music. I can't stand when there's brides grinding with their girlfriends. On their wedding day!? Who does that!! I don't know. I just think it's a bit tacky.  

Anyway, I believe that the people at my wedding were the ones that were always meant to be there. There was not a moment where I would have changed anything. N and I had a beautiful first dance. The food was fabulous. The atmosphere and mood so loving and fun. And the dancefloor, anything but boring. 

moment.

reverb10


December 3 – Moment. Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors)


Easy peasey. The moment I felt most alive this year was holding N's hand as we were walking down the aisle together right after we were pronounced husband and wife. The music was playing and I was trying to look out at all the people that had come to celebrate our wedding ceremony, but all I could see was Nick and so we just kept looking and laughing and smiling at each other and he squeezed my hand and said "Schatz, we're married!" And I had this burst of tears and laughter at the same time and said "I know!" I remember the sun was shining and it was perfectly warm. Everything was filled with sunshine and I remember everything orange, because my bouquet was so stunning with orange and white and I kept holding it up to my face as to cover my mouth with my hand :P 

Photo Hunt Challenge.

{anything goes}


I'm cheating a little today for anything goes for my photo hunt challenge I'm quickly finishing! I'm posting a little more than one image for today. But this morning as I was spending my quiet Saturday morning on the couch with a hot cup of coffee and my beloved laptop, I got myself a little lost in my pictures folder and came across these!! (pictures from our Rehearsal day/dinner and the Family BBQ the day after the wedding)

rehearsal.day&dinner

getting up in the morning with my ladies and going for mani/pedis, followed by brunch at the Bridesmaids' tea and rehearsal&rehearsal dinner later.

_______

mani/pedi time! CHOCOLATE mani/pedis. Being a bride was kinda awesome.

all prettyyy :) myself, my sister & MOH, my sister in law Julie, and my bf Bri 

the coolest godson

the coolest godson and his godparents

such ladies men :) My bf Britt, my cousin/soulmate Katie, and Dina 

my Juriiie 

such handsome boys :) my younger brother Ty - so handsome

♥

my cousin Sam & her then bf - 30 days later these cute kids got married and found out they were expecting :) congratulations! 

My friend Johannes who flew all the way from Germany to surprise me for my wedding. We hadn't seen each other since the 7th grade, 10 years ago. 

family.bbq

sleeping in the day after the wedding and hanging out in the backyard in sweats and with beer visiting with family, 

new and old. 

______

♥ ♥

Johannes talkin' with gma 

the day after wedding hair :)

my sister is back to cheery self now that the big day is over :) 

ladies, have some chips! 

family. ♥ I don't think I could have imagined a more perfect wedding week. 

Wish today was that Saturday again. Happy weekend!!

xo . jess

Flitterwochen.

...because honeymoon sounds dirty. 


Here I am Skyping with my friend Johannes that came to visit me all the way from Germany for my wedding and I'm telling him that I'm in the process of uploading my honeymoon pictures to Facebook. He quickly expressed that he was very concerned about the pictures I was posting, because he says in Germany "honeymoon sounds like SO sexual for Germans". 


Apparently, they have adapted the term "honeymoon disease" as to correctly diagnose a bladder infection and that is all they think of when people, like me, talk about their honeymoon. :) Dirty Germans. Those silly kids. 


Either way, it got me thinking that, maybe it wouldn't hurt to reposition myself on my bed a bit so I could actually type, and get to posting about the month of October and it's events that occurred. That then brings the question..do I go in order..bachelorette party, wedding, honeymoon? Or give you whatever I feel like. 


Well..since I'm already over dealing with the 786 pictures of our honeymoon from putting them on Facebook..let's go with 
bachelorette party :D 

my beautiful maid.of.honor

my beautiful brideshelpmewitheverythingmaid 

all my beautiful girls






































pretty miss.

the sexy ladies

very sexy miss.

hanging out with her water. so close yet still no shot. 

my mom and older sister I never had.

my bffe. 

the smile twins. 

♥

give it to me baby.

my soulmate. 

the party crew. 

getting kissed by Australians. 

a classic*chic bacheloretty party night.