Flash Back Friday

I have been digging through old photos the last few days.

Trying to make some selections for our rehearsal dinner slide show.

I could not help but share some of my favorites here.

Enjoy!

ps - I am sparing you the ridiculous photos of C and his friends over the years :)

Claire and I fishing freshman year in the Keys.

Claire and I walking back to our spring break house in the Keys sophomore year.

Actually, walking home from where I met Coleman :)

At some date function, junior year? Must have been Draft-A-Date!

My girls Marla and Claire loving up on C.

Who knows when this was! Some crazy summer day on Morris Island!

C and I at Senior Crown Ball. Love this picture!

Before Senior Crown Ball...

Fishing Freshman year

Claire and I, CofC Graduation May 2011.

C and I at a wedding last March.

ZTA House Girls 2009.

Sometime Senior year.. shooting off the dock at Pon Pon.

Bid day...senior year?

Me, Chelsy, Paige and Alex, CofC Graduation.

What a fun little walk down memory lane.

Happy Friday!

xo,

Shans

Bachelorette Recap

Say hello to a very photo-heavy Bachelorette Weekend recap.

We ventured down to Savannah back in December for a crazy weekend

Friday was low-key as we awaited everyone's arrival.

This included a great lingerie shower and a game that went something along the lines of

"Complete Coleman's Thought.." very interesting.

I am such a lucky girl to have friends come all the way from DC and NYC!

Saturday morning I treated the girls to brunch at the house then we headed out to explore.

Here are all of the girls Saturday morning -- bloodies and mimosas in hand for a walk around the town!

Gotta love having no open container law!

Some random lady of River Street made me this.

Two different rose to represent Coleman and I.

Three hearts to represent our three years together.

Too bad Buoy ate it shortly after my arrival home. Surprise! Surprise!

My girl, PKG and me.

We ran into SO many Santas.

We headed home for our adventures to shower and prepare for the night.

Here I am before dinner.

All of the girls at Garibaldi's. If you are ever in Savannah, I highly recommend. It was delicious!

My seester, MOH, and I!

After dinner we headed to Rocks the rooftop bar atop the Bohemian Hotel.

I ran into this fellow bride on my way in.

Gorgeous view of the river with my sweet friend and bridesmaid, Courtney.

My high school bestie, Lucy, and I at Bay Street Blues, the sketchiest karaoke bar ever.

We never even got to sing!

The highlight of the night, Savannah Smiles, a dueling piano bar!

If you head to Savannah for a Bachelorette this place is a must!

Some crazy friends I made...

who didn't know what soda water was!

Dancing the night away with Claire!

ALL of my girls on stage requesting a ridiculous song for these guys to play.

Making my way up!

It all gets a little fuzzy after that!

Happy Tuesday people.

PTL for a short week.

xo,

Shans

I'm Back!

Well sort of...

slowly but surely, right?

It has been a crazy few weeks/month/ I can't even keep up anymore!

New job!

Wedding on the horizon.

More to come on both of those a little later,

in the mean time, a little bit about why I am starting back today.

To remember that today, three years ago, our family lost someone very special.

My sweet baby cousin Jenni

who I have written about before here and here.

I really think that timing is so funny,
 recently I have seen/ heard about not only one but  two young people fighting her same disease, Osteosarcoma, on national television.

First, the story of Sam Grewe,
 a loyal Notre Dame fan
aired just before the BCS championship game earlier this month.

Sam is just around the same age Jenni was when she was diagnosed.
His cancer appeared in almost the same exact place.

And again, on Wednesday night, American Idol shared the story of Evan Ruggiero.
A one legged tap dancer, dancing his way through remission.

Both of these guys are fighting the same good fight Jenni fought.
They make me miss her even more, but in the same moment, they make me so happy for her.
So happy that these guys are still fighting.
So happy Jenni doesn't have to fight anymore.

Be grateful for your lives and the lives of your loved ones.
Take nothing for granted.
We are all SO blessed.

xo,
Shans