My Month in Rewind: June

While June no longer wraps up a long school year with three months of solid vacationing, it still brings lots of great things, most notably, warmer weather. And this June, we had wedding bells to ring in the summer. On June 1st, my brother, Luke, said "I do" to the love of his life, and one of my great friends, Caitlin. With a few straight weekends of gray clouds and thunder showers, Mother Nature was on our side as the wedding weekend approached. And although it could have been a little cooler (first heat wave of the season), the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and besides tears of joy, not a drop of water was felt. Their day was perfectly blissful, and like most weddings, not long enough. I can't wait until Cait gets the photographer's pictures so I can relive their day. I'd say a family dinner and slideshow are in order! Until then, here's a little summer fun...

Wedding Shower Q + A..."What are you most excited for?!"  #mamasboy

Cait + The Bridesmaids

Shower + Bachelorette Party + Rehearsal Dinner

Their photographer was AMAZING! If you don't know Nikki Lanoue of NEW[by Nikki], check her out! I absolutely adore the vintage feel of her photos...the colors, the lighting, the softness, it all works for me. And I love this giant balloon Cait made. She nailed the DIY stuff. 

Cait has the biggest + best laugh

Bedtime! 

And because nobody ever wants the wedding weekend to end, Cait's parents generously hosted a BBQ the following Sunday afternoon, for the bridal party to heal their hangovers with some summertime fare, and of course, more alcohol. Speaking of BBQ's, my absolute favorite part of summer would have to be the food. While I could pick my favorite foods of just about any season, nothing beats the fresh and local produce offered at this seasons farmer's markets. 

Fresh picked strawberries, please! 

We also celebrated this guy in June - for Father's Day of course! Not that I'm partial or anything, but my dad is the ultimate. He seriously can do it all. If there was ever a Renaissance man, this is the one you want, especially when you need new shelves, some cork flooring, and a complete rebuild of your computer. I don't think the man ever stops reading - which is not a bad way to live. Cheers to you Dad! I love you so much, I made you shrimp scampi (even though it really grossed me out). And you love me so much, I knew you wouldn't mind one of my "healthy" desserts to finish things off. More about the chocolate avocado mousse to come...

Ina Garten's Baked Shrimp Scampi over angel hair pasta - a hit! 

It's a good thing the food selection lightens up a bit come summertime, because beach days are in full swing in my neck of the woods. The neighborhood that I'm lucky enough to call home to is filled with all of my favorite people, and surrounded by the sand and sun. The beach is just a quick roll down my hill and as long as I've piled on the SPF and tucked an umbrella under my arms, that is where you will find all of us...kayaking, sandbar-ing, and grilling our days away. It's the best. 

And just as we opened June with my brother, he closed it out as well, as we celebrated his 28th birthday! We filled our night with lots of delicious cookout food - burgers, dogs, various salads, Mexican street corn, grilled veggies, sliced watermelon, and of course cake! Food is big around here. 

I hope you find your summer off to a great start as well. And it's only just begun! Woohoo!!