wedding | wednesday. paper favor cones.

I love these little cones for favors. You can fill them with a sweet treat that your wedding or shower guests will love. CLICK HERE for a free template to make them for yourself or a friend.

wedding | wednesday. papel picado flags.

I have often seen these spanish-inspired flags and loved them. I finally ran across a tutorial on how you can make them yourself! Once again, they could be made in your own color scheme and add a fun pop to an outdoor wedding (or shower!). CLICK HERE to see how you can make your own!

wedding | wednesday. save the date.

I'm always keeping my eyes open for fresh wedding ideas! Check out these paper airplane save the dates! They would be especially perfect for a destination wedding... this will be sure to leave an impression in your guests' minds. :) Check out the DIY instructions HERE.

wedding | wednesday. DIY decor.

I love this idea of hanging bottles or vases with wire and using them as stem vases for flowers. This would be perfect for a wedding or bridal shower. You could hang them under a tent or in trees. The flowers could be dried, fake, or real. I can even envision using them to hold sticks or feathers for a different look! Happy dreaming! :)

adventures of HCP | madison, wi | day 3

This morning consisted of some much needed sleeping in. We then walked down the street to Marigold Kitchen for brunch. That's where I took these photos of our breakfast. :) After that, we walked, and walked, and walked. We went down to a terrace on the oceanfront where there was such a beautiful view of the water and the capital building.... then, we took another walk all the way down State St. and stopped in some shops and thrift stores along the way. We were pretty worn out by the time we made it back to the room... headed over to Starbucks to do a little work. By this time- it was sprinkling... and I had a session at 5pm! We definitely prayed that the rain would pass over... and it did! The sun came out, and we were able to do our session with Tom + Jenni. They are seriously the sweetest couple. I feel so blessed to know them. The fact that they have been married for a few years really helps them to feel comfortable with each other in front of the camera. We definitely got some beautiful and creative shots! We took another walk down State St. and had dinner at Ian's Pizza. If you live in or near Madison, run- don't walk- there! Yummy! After getting some Coldstone to take back to the room, we watched Cake Boss and packed up for our morning flight. I was still wanting to get a photo of the Capital building after dark- so, I took a quick trip outside- in the rain- in the street... a lady standing nearby said that I was awfully "gutsy"... oh the things I do for a cool photo! Well, it was a wonderful trip. God definitely gave me the strength that I needed and an awesome opportunity. A special thanks to Brett+Alana and their families for making it possible and for taking such great care of us! Wishing you a lifetime of blessings and happiness.

adventures of HCP | madison, wi | day 1

Today started very early- 3:30am- to be exact. It's days like these that I'm thankful for the adrenaline that causes you to be more awake than you really are. :) We made it to the airport and caught our flight just in time- 6am. For those of you who know me- this is quite a stretch for me- I usually have a difficult time waking up early! :) So- we got on the plane and got to witness this breath-taking sight over Springfield- wow- is all I can say. Immediately, the lyrics to Phil Wickham's song, Beautiful, started singing in my heart.

I see Your face in every sunrise
The colors of the morning are inside Your eyes
The world awakens in the light of the day
I look up to the sky and say

You're beautiful.

On the flight from Chicago to Madison- there were about 20 people on an 80 passenger plane. The flight attendant said we could all spread out and sit wherever we want... the exit row is always the perfect fit for long legs. ;) So, as we were getting ready for take-off, the pilot informed us that the flight would be 24 minutes long. Seriously?! lol. I didn't know that was possible. As we stepped off the plane in Madison, we were hit in the face by the intense smell of cow manure. (my sis says that the story reminds her of the Hannah Montana movie... if you know what I mean.) lol. We were picked up by the hotel shuttle and given some history about the city. It's really a beautiful place, and I love that it's surrounded by water! We drove by a beach area where there were hundreds of people with their canoes getting ready to race. I so wanted to hop in one! :) After we got to the hotel- which is right across from the beautiful capital building- we went to the farmer's market and maxwell street days that were happening around the capital square. It was a lot of fun! Picked up some cheese and a red velvet "whoopie pie"! We then went to a Mexican street cafe for brunch.... then met up with the bride to go over last minute details and to see one of the photo locations. We then grabbed some starbucks and headed back to the room where I crashed and took a 2-3 hour nap! I never do that! :) That's what starting the day at 3:30am will do to you! :) The rehearsal dinner was on the top floor of our hotel at 7pm- beautiful view and great food! Now- I will try to sleep through the very loud music of the wedding reception that's happening down the hall. :) I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow! But, I'm really loving all of this... I love to travel and have weekend getaways. I will let you know how the day goes tomorrow! Hoping for a little cloud cover to help with the direct sun and heat. Bye for now! :)