We’re having a party – Page 7

Cupcakes and Cacao Torte with spinning flames

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 12, 2015

Birthdays are considered a BIG DEAL at our house. Dewdrop spent hers with her mommy, but we threw her a party when she came back to Kansas and had plenty of celebrating with her here.

You can't have too many birthday parties, can you?

We had three birthdays to enjoy, and threw two parties for them. One out to dinner for Italian food, and the next night, a family dinner at home with a crock pot full of veggie soup.

And cupcakes decorated by grandfairies.

The other two celebrating their birthdays wanted a more grown up cake, so I made a flourless chocolate torte with cacao powder.

That cake was a better size to use for the light up, spinning, and singing candle than the cupcakes were.

But it didn't sing! Dang it! Last one I bought was a lot of fun, this one was a bit of a dud and also scared Dewdrop.

The flames were a little overwhelming, without the Happy Birthday song that is supposed to be a part of the act.

But not too scary. She was pretty happy once it was time to bite into her custom cupcake.

But at a $5.99 price tag for the big, flame throwing, spinning, wonderland of a candle that wouldn't play the song, I think I'll take it back to the store for a refund. Or exchange.

We are tickled pink to have our tiny, Arabella Cinderella back for the holidays. There have been lots of kisses and hugs, big smiles, then more hugs. Dewdrop was missed.

She has been keeping me company out in the studio where we have had a few parades with her as Frosty the Snowgirl. Yep, that girl is a lot of fun.

Here is how I made the torte:

stir 3/4 cup raw cacao powder (more nutritious and stronger than cocoa)
into one stick of melted butter
add 1 cup organic sugar and 4 egg yolks
In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg whites, when foamy, add in 1/4 cup of sugar and the scraped seeds from one vanilla bean.
Beat the egg whites till almost into peaks, but not as long as you would for meringue, you don't need stiff peaks.
Fold the two mixtures together, gently

Pour into 8" pan and bake for about 45 minutes at 300 (I don't have a springform pan, I use Grandma Nathan's old cake pan, but I think a spring form is called for)

And here are a couple of banners that I've added to the Boutique.

A weekend of fun, family, and friends

celebrations, friends, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 10, 2015

My friend Tami, throws the most fun craft days. The one last weekend was a holiday theme and she gifted us all with the supplies to make these Christmas themed boxes on candlesticks.

And it is always fascinating to see the varied way the projects go as everyone selects the components they want to use.

I went there with determination to get some work done and packed up a bunch of supplies to make banners to sell in the Boutique. But, when I saw the tempting display of goodies to glue onto a box top, and the creations the other ladies had going on, I had to join in. And I'm glad I did.

There is always time to make something to sell. But to slow down, enjoy a day with friends and craft a special piece to treasure as a memory of the day is much more meaningful. And every year when I unpack it, I'll think of the laughs and silliness we shared that day.

Like how Beth compared the angel hair to Donald Trump's head and we all called it that all day, making jokes about "adding some more trumps" to our trees, and other goofy plays on that theme.

Of course, I'll remember the day every time I try to button my jeans too.

Tami's home is decked out with holiday cheer from top to bottom.

And I am always touched to see a project from one of my classes in a friend's home.

The next day, I went with another group of friends on a holiday home tour, and while we saw some pretty things, none of the homes were nearly as festive or creative as Tami's was. But it is always fun to go with my buddies and check out the houses. We all liked this pink and dolly themed bedroom.

And I'd enjoy being invited to dinner in this jolly setting.

But this might have been my favorite part, understated whites and warm browns. Like a cuppa cocoa with marshmallows.

The weekend was a whirlwind of friendship and family. After spending both afternoons with buds, the evenings were full of birthday celebrations.

That was pretty exciting too. I'll share more pictures in my next post.

An evening at a grand masked ball

celebrations, family, parties, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / November 3, 2015

This was not just a Halloween party.

This was something on a whole different scale.

Like nothing I'd ever been to before. (and honestly, even if I it was possible to get invited to another masquerade, and that seems unlikely since this was such a once in a lifetime experience, I don't think it could come close to matching this wowzer of a party)

Because this one was planned by my sister-in-law, Terry, who is a hostess to beat all. (And who also designed, created, and stitched this fetching,Phoenix gown)

She and her husband are a fun loving, generous couple who understand the art of entertaining.

The party was held at La Caille, a fairy tale, dream come true. You enter through iron gates and drive up a long, winding path lined with twinkle lit trees, to arrive at a French inspired castle in the woods.

Even before you open the door to the grand entry way, you know you're somewhere wonderful.

I channeled my inner Sugarwings and pretended to be a princess as I glided up the stairs. (well, I think I might have kinda clod hopped up in my heels, since they were making some clunking noises as I tried unsuccessfully to walk up the steps semi gracefully in them). If my grand fairy had been there, she could have spent hours just daydreaming and playing make believe on this magnificent stairway.

It was easy to feel like royalty walking into the party. The guests were dressed to the hilt and you could feel the excitement.

Here is our host again, this time with Kate Winslet!!!!!

At least in my mind that is who this was.

I only knew the people there that were relatives, and everyone was masked, so I just guessed at identities of the rest of the guests. Plus, it was such a fancy party, I just assumed that all of those glamorous people that I didn't know were stars or queens or billionaire yachting types.

Yet, I didn't feel like a rube myself at all. Terry and Dale are such a lovable couple, they made everyone feel right at home, welcomed, and ready for fun even in the most luxurious of locations.

Although, somewhere toward the end of the night, I realized that one of my sheer, tulle slips had been wadded up under the top half of my dress all evening.

(What every gal wants when she is all dressed up is an extra layer of poofy padding around the waist, right?)

Sugarwings was excited about me getting to go to this event, and found this pretty, lace mask for me while shopping with her mommy. It was special to me that I had a gift from my girls to carry. I added a stick to it and some embellishments to go along with my black bird dress.

My husband, on the other hand, wore a 59 cent, plastic mask, since he isn't much of a costume type. Neither is his brother. But they both looked handsome toasting their sis for her extraordinary party.

There was a buffet set up with a lot of choices for dinner. Here is my plate of deliciousness.

We had an assortment of mini cheesecakes and other dainty treats for dessert too.

Plus glass pumpkins filled with Halloween candy, Godiva, and Ghirardelli chocolates on each table.

Here is Terry's son, the Mad Hatter showing off some goodies he got from the dessert table.

Throughout the night, there was dancing. My husband even danced to my Halloween favorite, The Monster Mash with me. And slow danced to Micheal Buble singing about what a marvelous night it was for a moon dance.

I agreed with Michael.

Terry was fairy godmother to many of the guests, creating their costumes as well as hers. She designed the pattern for this Tardis gown for her daughter-in-law from a photo found online.

And Holly out evil-queened Regina in this Once Upon a Time inspired gown. Oh my gosh, I wish you could see the deluxe details in this!!!!!!!!!!

Terry covered a luxe purple fabric with black lace to create the look. And the day before the bash, she was figuring out how to make a ruff stand up on the jacket. No looking at youtube videos, using a pattern, she just winged it and came up with an ideal plan.

We were asked to come in formal attire with a mask, costumes welcomed, but nothing gorey. I'm always thrilled to have a reason to be witchy, so when I found the black bird dress on clearance at the Victoria Trading Co. outlet store, I knew it was just what I wanted.

The shoes are from Goodwill and spray painted to be sparkly. Since I have Fred Flintstone feet and shoes are always too narrow, I'm pleased when I find pre-broken in ones to wear at the Goodwill. These low heels were comfy all night long.

I am thinking about cutting the dress off to become a sundress later on, since I don't have a lot of occasions to wear a long gown. Well, maybe I do, with Sugarwings and Dewdrop around, we LOVE excuses to dress up. I might keep it as is, just to play in.

Now, if I could just get my Handsome Husband to slip into that tuxedo more often…. yum

The party was amazing, and the best part? It was also a mini family reunion for us and we got to spend an evening with my mother-in-law, Joan as well as the whole next day hanging out with people we love.

I even got to meet a brand spanking new nephew when Terry's daughter and son-in-law brought their little ones over to the house. There was football to be played, Eric's specialty pizza, and a World Series game too.

And I got to see trick or treaters! I haven't had one at my home in 20 years (except family members) but at Terry's neighborhood, we had so many I felt at one point like I was being overwhelmed by the mob at the front door.

Very cute and a lot of fun to see, though.

It was a beautiful weekend topped off with family fun. My husband was in heaven with a chance to play football with nieces and nephews, I got to catch up on family gossip, eat lots of chocolate, and attend this formal ball.

I can't thank Terry and Dale enough for their hospitality.

I'll leave you with a few more photos from this venue and of the dreamy evening I spent there.

Haunted House fun

Dew Drop, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / October 30, 2015

This season, we discovered fondant. And for big time, PlayDough lovers, this is a wonderful thing to know about when you are making a gingerbread house. Some orange fondant came in the haunted gingerbread house that I bought at Michaels, and we enjoyed it sooooo much that we bought another package of orange and one of white.

It isn't cheap like Playdough, but it is worth the cost, because the grand fairies worked with it for hours and hours.

The house came assembled!!!!!! That was a huge plus for me, as the contractor for building the home, I'm gingerbread impaired and often struggle to raise the roof. (I've been known to resort to hot glue in the past)

This was also our first Halloween house, and while it was very fun to do, I discovered that the black and purple icing "glues" are a horrid mess to work with and the first batch of orange fondant ended up sorta grey from messy icing fingers.

Also, there wasn't nearly enough candy in the box to finish decorating the creation. At least not to our standards… we are big believers in GAUDINESS!

So, after a couple hours working on the house at the table, and smearing black icing everywhere, I smartened up and the next day when we finished the house, I had the kiddos spend time making their fondant creations and letting them dry before gluing them to the house with the goopy icing.

Sugarwings threw another Arabella Cinderella party to welcome her sister back from her trip out East to be with her mommy, and the gingerbread house made an ideal centerpiece for the table.

I rented Cinderella ( It is a beautiful movie, Rose and Rob Stark make a lovely couple,and I was glad to see that Rob's wedding went a lot better on this show than on Game of Thrones) and the grand fairies had a tea party breakfast watching the show. They spent most of the rest of the day making fondant pumpkins and ghosts in front of the TV, since the room was set up so festive, and we wanted to take advantage of the decor.

Sugarwings had made princess posters on Disney's online game page, printed them, and taped them all around the room to surprise her sis. Then, she set the table for breakfast and called her sister into the room for a surprise party.

I'd say the girl has a flair for hosting a stylish bash.

We will miss our tiny Dewdrop when she heads back to her Mommy. But like we tell her, we are so happy that she gets to be with both us and with her Mommy who she loves so much.

And we never cry about her leaving ( at least not in front of her). She is such a trooper and stays cheerful about it all. I have a feeling that having parties thrown for her doesn't hurt at all.

We have a photo album of her mother and siblings who are not with her, and keep it near her bed, to look through whenever she is feeling lonely for them.

And when she is away from us? I have blog posts full of pictures of her to look at and remember our fun while she was here. I hope that her other family enjoys the posts too.

Romantic Gothic Ghosts at the cottage, a spooky studio tour

Food and Drink, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / October 18, 2015

Having my home all spookied up has been fun. Maybe that is why I'm so into all of the witches and haunted house projects?

The haunting decor was set out for my Romantic Gothic Ghosts gathering earlier in the month. I have such a hectic October this year, with three trips and other fun things, that I almost didn't do much decorating.

But I'm glad I did, it has been inspiring for me. I don't think I've ever gotten into so much Halloween themed creating as I have this year. It has been one witch, haunted house, and banner after another.

Well, at least, not since Beth and I did the online zine with how tos and printables titled Romantic Gothic Ghosts back in 2009 or so. That was such fun to do and I just recently reread it. It has some good tips and is pretty cool. And still for sale, here, if you'd like to check it out too.

Oh, I've always enjoyed making witchy things, this pink witch is from a few years ago. But I don't think I've had quite as many to sell in the past. It has been rewarding to see how well they sell and to see that others like the witchy goods too.

At the craft day, after our main project, the ladies stayed late and I got them making banners too. here is Tami's, in progress.

This is the main project for the day, an apothecary jar filled with ghosts and witches.

I'm afraid I don't have any kits for this, but I do still have some little witchy girl kits, if you'd like to make a free standing witch of your own.

The other kits available are the "Book of Mysteries" journals.

Some of my decor for the party was pretty simple. I have this large, spring time mural with blue birds that was too cheerful for this season. So, I printed some bat and witch images and taped them over the birds. Here it is halfway done.

And here it is all batty. I probably should've added some cobwebs to the pink tree…

This was Sugarwings favorite bit of decorating. She is a big, Wizard of Oz fan, so loved this idea.

The tablescape was set up for the party, but the little girls liked it too, so I've left it up for the month. But without my Great Grandma Nellie's hand made table cloth underneath.

I'm a big believer in using the special things I own, not leaving them stashed away in drawers to save for another day. But I'm not stupid and I know that if I left it out for everyday, it would soon be a ketchupy mess.

I'll leave you with more photos from the day and of my studio.

Ghost party 027

An Arabella Cinderella Farewell Teaparty

cottage, Dew Drop, family, Food and Drink, parties, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 31, 2015

We've had a nice, long visit with our tiniest fairy girl.

But now, she is headed East to be with her momma. We've squeezed in lots of snuggles and hugs before it was time for her to leave.

Sugarwings thought it would be a good idea to throw her a going away party, so we planned a tea to send her off with a toast.

Usually, Sugarwings helps set the table with me, but this was scheduled for right after school to combine after school snacktime with the festivities. I had the table set and waiting when they got home, to save time. If we delay after school treats too long, they interfere with dinner appetites.

But of course, this girl had to do some rearranging to improve my set up.

Dewdrop had been admiring some vintage dresses that I had hanging in the studio, and I kept promising her that she could wear them, but we never seemed to get around to it.

It dawned on me, that if I didn't pull those dresses down and let her try them on, they might not fit her when she came back again in a few weeks, those little ones do not stay little forever.

A vintage gown was chosen for Sugarwings too, but she preferred one of her own princess dresses. Both girls wanted to wear some of the jewelry I had out in the studio and chose some sparkling necklaces to try on. Dewdrop went with a floral hat from the studio too.

When the bigger girls got off the school bus from Jr. and Sr. high schools, they were good sports and joined in to toast our little sweetie. Can you tell by the look on her face that she appreciated our efforts and loved her party? That is one happy, kiddo.

We have recently discovered how delicious basil flowers are. I have always picked them off to make the basil plants last longer, and sometimes fill a vase with the blooming stems. Dewdrop likes to pick them out of the vase on the dining room table to eat during dinner, so I sprinkled some over our heart shaped watermelon slices for the party (made with a cookie cutter).

We also served blackberries and cupcakes along with the tea. All the dishes are mismatched and mostly from garage sales, and when set out on a floral table cloth, they feel special. Not so special that I get upset when one breaks. We had a creamer casualty, but it had only cost a quarter, so that didn't matter much. I want the grand fairies to enjoy nice things, had be used to handling them, not be afraid to use the pretty pieces.

We are all going to miss our silly, funny, little goofball and will be looking forward to planning a return party for her when it is time for her to come back.

Romantic Gothic Ghosts, two classes at the Cottage Oct. 3-4

holiday decor, Romantic Gothic Ghosts, Tutorials, vintage paper/collage art, We're having a party, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / August 10, 2015

Two different classes will be held here at the Cottage in October. On Sat. the 3rd, we will be making an apothecary jar housing a cute witch surrounded by transparent ghostly images.

And since it is Karla's Cottage, you know there will be choices and we will be using the Good Stuff. I'll have an array of witchy girl kits for you pick from and make to use in your jar.

On Sunday, Oct. 4th, we will alter a book with haunting, and mysterious elements.

You will make a complete book that day, and receive a trick or treat bag full of delicious goodies to finish the interior pages, if hobgoblins don't allow you enough time to work on the inside that day.

The pages themselves will be printed papers that I have scanned from vintage fortune telling and astrological pamphlets. So your spell book will be ready for embellishments and additions of your own over the top of the moody backgrounds.

The apothecary jar will be filled with ghosts.

They will be haunting a diminutive witch with her cat, and a pumpkin. I'll provide one hand made paper clay gourd, and you will make another one yourself. The trees behind her are covered in black millinery leaves and draped in cobwebs.

There is a lot of detail to each little witch in the jar or on the book covers.

Your trapped, bewitching charmer in a jar (made on Saturday) can hold a magic wand, or a broomstick, both will be hand made during the class.

The book cover (made on Sunday) features 2 young crones, one waving a wand, the other one swishing her broom.

Our colors will be neutral and black, no garish oranges. But I do like the very faded, old purple of these 100 year old millinery blooms. So if you want a touch of violet for All Hallow's Eve, I think these are the way to go.

And these tones of vintage ribbon flowers are a sweet addition to the spellbinding girl's gowns. A touch of color here and there doesn't take away from the black and ecru of either creation, since these are such mellow, old tones.

Especially for our sweet, mini sorceresses.

(If you like them to look aged more, we can give them a quick dip them in dye. These are vintage new stock, packed away for decades, never used, so might still retain some of their original brightness)

My theory on creating is that you should use the Good Stuff. Like glass and rhinestone old buttons…

Tattered trims from days long ago…

Hand dyed silk, and vintage velvet….

And delicate lace.

This antique gown from a distant wedding date is properly decaying for our haunting creations. I'll have snippets of it in each kit.

And please feel free to rip into it for use during the weekend.

Each project kit will be filled with romantic elements to create your piece. And of course, at Karla's Cottage, there is always a table of extras for personalization. I love it when no two finished artworks look alike.

We are going for a look of timeworn beauty, not modern Halloween. Expect luxe supplies and lovely images for our specters and sorceresses.

And remember, only bad witches are ugly.

Both classes will fill a day, and if you are fast worker, there will be plenty of extras for you to play with while hanging out with our fiends friends, and chatting away as we create together in our little coven of crafters.

Goodies will be served in the haunted treat cabinet, and we will break for a homemade lunch.

You are welcome to attend one class or both. Each is from 10am-5pm with lunch at 1:00.

If you'd like to join us here in Lawrence, KS (50 minutes from the Kansas City, MO airport) please email me – karlanathan@sbcglobal.net -for an invoice. This is a limited sized class.

Saturday October 3- Romantic Gothic Ghosts- Haunted Sorceress is $100

Sunday October 4- Romantic Gothic Ghosts- Book of Mysteries is $100

If you want to do both, you will receive a discount of 10%, which makes the total for two days- $190

I'll leave you with some more photos of the projects. I hope to see you here!

Creating Vintage Charm

friends, magazine pictures or articles, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / August 8, 2015

One of the highlights of going to Karen's delightful retreat hosted by Stacy at Whitworth Ranch Retreat, was renewing my friendship with Sonia Cruz. She and I had met a few years back at Jenn Hayslip's fairy tale getaway in North Carolina.

Sonia publishes a pretty magazine, available digitally or printed through magcloud.

In the latest issue, she features not only the fun time we had at the Texas elegant hoe-down, she also shows off my Fabulous friend, Karen's pretty in pink studio. I've been to Mt. Dora, FL and visited this work room and the pics Karen took of it are as fab as she is. And she is pretty durn FAB. Lovely pictures of a lovely space, taken by a lovely lady.

And looky here! I'm a magazine model. Ha! Here I am with Karen and Sonia at the Texas party, we are all decked out in our Downton duds.

Over the years, I've been lucky enough to have my artwork, projects, home, studio, or styling featured in some publications. Once, a photo I had taken of Sugarwings was used in Where Women Create, too. But it seems odd to see myself in a picture…

And now this is the second time I've been in Sonia's Creating Vintage Charm.

Hmmm…. I saw on the new season of "America's Next Top Model" that Tyra has taken out the height requirements, I wonder how she feels about age limits? She should do a season with "America's Next Top Short, Round, Grammie Models" and I'd sign up.

Because of course, now I have a portfolio to show for my audition.

Uhm, did I honestly just admit to watching ANTM? Ooops. Well, I do like my trashy TV shows. Although, that one has become too argumentative for me, I used to like it much better. Now, I fast forward through all the ridiculous flirting and silly, pouting, fights and just watch the makeovers and photography. I'll bet that if Tyra would feature grammies that would cut down on the bickering and boozing.

At least on the bickering. At our age, we are thrilled to get out and have fun on a getaway. Which is why I love going to art events like Jenn's, Karen's, and Stacy's. It's wonderful to be with friends, creating and sharing.

I've met some very nice people when going to or hosting events. And it made me happy to see one of them, my buddy, Linda, had one of her creations shown on a full page of Sonia's magazine. Linda had made one of these colorful, candy filled confections for each of the guests at the ranch. She is a generous soul and I was thrilled to see this in the pages of the story.

If you want to attend a (mini) arty getaway, and meet some nice people, maybe I'll see you in October at the cottage? Details in the next blog post, or email me at:

karlanathan@sbcglobal.net

Birdsong FIVE- My Peeps

bird song art event, family, guncles, studio tour, We're having a party, Workshops

By Karla Nathan / July 17, 2015

Do you know what I love best about Birdsong? My peeps, of course!

It's a special time with old friends and new, plus a few family members who come along to be a part of it, and to help out.

Gail, Nora, Beth, and Tami have been to every Birdsong (plus many of the smaller workshops we have throughout the year- and by the way, I've got a Halloween idea in the works…)

To commemorate their 5th year, I made up special ribbons for them to wear, and added little birdie pins to their name tags.

Most of us gathered for dinner the night before our party began.

I'm so glad it worked out to meet for a Pre-Birdsong dinner, because by that time, I'm very impatient to get the party started.

And you know what else is special about Birdsong to me? Family members who want to be a part of the gathering. While this is my busiest time of the entire year, and I don't always have much extra time, I'm happy to have them nearby and share the experience with me.

There is a lot of fluttering and flitting from one thing to another, but we manage to squeeze in a few good conversations here and there. Especially while prepping in the kitchen. But it does go by fast, and then all of a sudden, everyone is leaving and I'm wondering how days slipped by without getting around to topics I wanted to talk about. When Terry and her husband pulled out of the driveway to head back to Utah, I found myself teary eyed to see them go, thinking that we barely scratched the surface of all we wanted to talk about, and knowing it would be months before I saw her again.

That is how I feel about all of my Peeps, when the weekend starts, it seems like there is so much time to talk, play, and create, then all of a sudden, it is over. And I miss them all.

This year, Sissy brought her daughter, Shelli. It was a first time for her, and I hope she comes back for another one.

Especially when she looks so cute in her outfit that matches my fly strip…. Ha!! (I did take the strip down before guests arrived, even though it was a very stylish pattern)

This year, there were a lot of weddings, graduations, and family events that prevented some of our regulars from attending, so we got to add some new Peeps to the group. (sign ups are offered first to previous attendees or sponsors)

Along with some favorite friends who come back every time.

Terry once again offered neck massages for hard working crafters. I think some of my friends attend just for her magic touch!

And my baby bro, Guncle Randy, is our official parking guide. (Or as he calls himself, the "Parking B*#ch")

It is surprising how many cars we can fit into our driveway,when properly coordinated, and he has the pattern down pat after years of guiding the way.

Birdsong is a highlight of my year, and it means a lot to me that so many people join in and make it special for us all.

It's a lovely group, and I'm happy to call them friends.

If you are interested, Birdsong kits are available here.

ps-If you are here for the studio tour, you can find it here.

A renewal of our vows on Siesta Key beach

celebrations, family, Travel, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / June 21, 2015

Over the years, I've told my husband it would be fun to throw a big party and renew our vows. I've also mentioned eloping to Vegas and getting remarried in an Elvis chapel. He always scoffs, even though he tends to be a pretty romantic guy, he wasn't interested. I'd kind of forgotten about the idea, then while in Sarasota, we watched a wedding on the beach at sunset, as we finished up dinner on our patio.

I was inspired to bring up the idea again.

And this time, he said yes, and accepted my proposal.

It probably didn't hurt that the little girls were so excited, and that we only had about 10 minutes to pull it all together before the sun went down. I threw a couple of sundresses on the two little beauties, the condo neighbors gave me a bundle of flowers wrapped in foil, I slipped one of the girls headbands over my wet hair and then put Sugarwings in charge of the rest.

At first she drew a pathway in the sand with a heart to stand in, but it led towards the real wedding party, and we didn't want to bother them. So, we found some tracks left by a wagon and followed those. She put some leaves and rosemary (from the plant we bought to cook with while there) into a sieve that we'd bought to play in the sand with and she walked ahead, as our flower girl. I grabbed the rosemary pot to carry as well as my flowers.

I handed my camera to our Hippie Chick, and people started finding jobs to do. Dewdrop was our ring bearer, and had a couple of colorful hair ties with flowers on them to use as rings (provided by our talented wedding planner, Sugarwings).

Adam was best man, and Ry Guy walked us down the wagon trail path.

Avanhi has a sultry, sweet voice, and sang my husband's favorite song, Aloha by Nahko Bear and Medicine for the People.

We were right in time for the sun to go down, and the beach had an orange glow. No one really had a plan, there was a lot of laughter and it was all very free spirited.

So much so, that I never once considered the actual vows….

So, I whispered something racy in his ear.

Then he went and had a BEAUTIFUL speech. Very lovable and sweet.

And Ryan had a thoughtful, loving statement to make too.

As well as Adam. What had started out as a fun, little lark had become a moving, and tender moment.

We were in Florida with our big family gathering to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in August, as well as Sugarwings' mommy's 30th birthday a few days later.

When we planned the trip, the vow renewal hadn't occurred to me. Which makes it even more special, although if I'd planned it, I think I'd have worn some makeup…. and thought up some vows.